Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

October 1^st was the feast day of St. Teresa of Lisieux, also known as the ‘Little Flower’.  She was a contemplative French Carmelite nun.  So how did a nun who never left her convent become the patron saint of missionaries? 

It all started in July 1896, when a young seminarian, Maurice Belliere, wrote to Carmelites for prayers for his vocation.  He wrote, “I write for the purpose of begging.  I have just committed the worst blunder of all, but it is so outrageous that it will be my last… I am a soldier, and the time spent as one has been of no help to the seminarian.”

As providence would play out, the mother superior gave the task to St. Teresa to pray and sacrifice for the young seminarian.  She wrote back to him, “Your letter in July distressed me very much, because I blamed my lack of fervor of prayers for the struggles you went through. I haven’t stopped begging the maternal help of the beloved Queen of the Apostles for you.” 

In December of that year, Maurice responded, “Dear Sister, the Lord is sending me a hard trial – as He does with those He loves – and I am very weak.  Within a few days, He will undoubtedly send me to the African Missions… I have to break myself away from a number of cherished and strong attachments, as well as from some soft and expensive habits of easy living.  The missionary has to be a saint, and a saint I am not.  Ask God to give me, the courage of a strong and noble self-surrender.”  

Teresa wrote with love, “Dear Maurice, your lot is truly beautiful, since Our Lord chose it for Himself and first put His own lips to the cup which He now holds up to yours… Let us work together for the salvation of souls.”

St. Theresa died of tuberculosis at age 24 on September 30, 1897.  It was the next day, October 1^st, that Maurice stepped off the boat from France into Africa as a seminarian missionary.  She was there to support him with her intercession from heaven. As she had promised, “I want to spend eternity doing good on earth.” 

This past weekend, we kicked off our annual Bishop’s Appeal for Vocations.  We are so blessed to have many seminarians in formation for the Diocese of Lincoln, two of them (Peter and Andrew Foley) from our own parish.  Like St. Theresa, you too can support our seminarians with your prayers and support. 

In His Mercy,
Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

Please go to Bishop’s Appeal for Vocations (lincolndiocese.org) to donate online to the seminarian appeal. 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

On a dreary day in March 2015, a young mom was driving her car along the Spanish Fork River in Utah.  Sadly, her car veered off the road and flipped into the dark river below.  Fourteen hours later, a person saw the skid marks and called 911.  The young mother was pronounced dead at the scene, and as the EMTs were heading back to their service vehicles, they heard a loud cry, ‘Help me!’  Stunned, they returned to the car to find an infant named Lily, strapped upside down in her car seat unharmed.  During an interview with the local news channel, one of the EMTs (who identified himself as an atheist) said he believed it was the voice of an angelic being. 

American pop culture seemed fascinated with our angelic friends in the ‘90s with movies like Angels in the Outfield and Michael and songs like Angels Among Us and In the Arms of an Angel.  So, who are the angels? Or better question, what are they? 

Angels are created by God who, like us, have an intellect and will.  However, different from us, they are pure spirit.  We, as humans, are more similar than we are different.  Each angel is uniquely different since they do not have a body.  

What unites the heavenly angelic beings is their service of the Lord.  There are seven types of service to the Lord by His heavenly court of angels: 1. Seraphim; 2. Cherubim; 3. Thrones; 4. Dominions; 5. Powers; 6. Virtues; 7. Principalities; 8. Archangels; 9. Angels.  

St. Bernard of Clairvaux writes, “God loves in the seraphim as charity; knows in the cherubim as truth; is seated in the thrones as equity; reigns in the dominions as majesty; rules in the principalities as principle; guards in the powers as salvation; acts in the virtues as strength; reveals in the archangels as light; assists in the angels as piety.”

Today, we celebrate the feast day of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, and next week, we celebrate the feast day of our Guardian Angels.  During the Preface at Mass, the priest praises these angelic beings and we as a church join in their chorus of praise by singing Holy, Holy, Holy….  

In His Mercy,
Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

Remember the Wicked Witch of the West from the classic film The Wizard of Oz? A frightening figure, with her green face, long and pointed nose, claw-like hands (always rubbing them together), hunched posture, and obnoxious, cackling voice. She wanted Dorothy's ruby slippers. She really wanted them; she couldn't live without them. She wanted them so much that she was willing to kill for them.  All her evil power was furiously bent on getting those slippers. Her resentment of Dorothy for having something she wanted is a classic example of envy.  More frightening than the fictional Wicked Witch herself is that we can all relate to her by our own envy. 

In our Gospel this weekend, Jesus asks the workers of the field, “Are you envious because I am generous” (Mt. 20:15).  Jesus tells the parable of the workers in the field to show His generosity to all people.  This generosity made the Jewish leaders envious.  They were like little 1^st graders who have a keen sense of justice and cry out, ‘That is not fair.’ 

Envy is one of the seven deadly sins and there are three types of envy.  First, is the envy of grieving over another’s good, not because they possess it, but because we do not have it. The second form of envy is when we believe the person who has something that we desire is unworthy of it.  This is what Aristotle calls nemesis (in Greek). The final sin of envy is when we grieve over another’s good because they surpass our good. 

The greatest way to fight against the temptation of envy is gratitude.  The great British author G.K. Chesterton once wrote, “When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.”  Gratitude opens our hearts to God and to others.  Gratitude makes us more fully human.  Gratitude sets our minds on eternity.

Today, I am filled with gratitude to the many parishioners who helped us have a great Fall Family Festival.  I consider myself to be the most blessed pastor in Lincoln and to lead a parish with so many disciples of Christ.  I just hope and pray that I do not make other pastors envious.  

In His Mercy,
Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

If you have been to St. Peter Basilica in Rome, chances are you saw Michelangelo’s most famous sculpture, the Madonna della Pietà, commonly called the Pieta, completed in 1489.  It is the only piece Michelangelo ever signed.

The sculpture captures the moment Jesus, taken down from the cross, is given to his mother Mary. This was the sixth sorrow of the Blessed Mother.  

Today is the feast day of Our Lady of Sorrows. The traditional Seven Sorrows of Mary are:

1. The Prophecy of Simeon (Luke 2)
2. The Flight into Egypt (Matthew 2)
3. The Loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple of Jerusalem (Luke 2)
4. Mary meeting Jesus on the way of the cross (4^th station)
5. The Crucifixion of Jesus (John 19)
6. Jesus's Descent from the Cross (John 19)
7. The Burial of Jesus (Matthew 27)

The Lord wishes to penetrate the soul of everyone suffering through the heart of His Mother. Like no one else, she, alone, understands the incomprehensible pain you feel in your heart today. As your mother, she will bring you consolation and hope in the midst of darkness.  Allow her to comfort your suffering heart, for a sword of sorrow pierced her own heart as surely as it has pierced yours. 

In His Mercy,
Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

On September 8, 430AD, in Angers, France, St. Maurilius heard the angels singing in heaven.  He asked the angelic beings why this jubilee.  They told him they were rejoicing because the Blessed Mother Mary was born on that night.  So, we celebrate the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on this day. 

The Blessed Virgin Mary was the first disciple of the Lord and a model for you and me.  In the Gospel this past weekend, we were given the road map to become disciples. “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). 

First, we are called to deny ourselves.  To deny oneself means, in every moment of life, to say no to self and yes to God.  Just as we are lost through loving ourselves, we are found by denying ourselves. The life of constant self-denial is the life of constant assent to God.

Second, we are called to take up our cross.  This would have been shocking for the 1st-century followers of Jesus to hear.  The cross is repulsive, but through suffering comes redemption as St. Paul writes to the Colossians, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh, I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church.”

Finally, we are called to follow God.  One who follows is called a disciple.  This is why it is vital that each one of us renew our commitment to Him and the Church by completing the annual St. Peter Discipleship Renewal. 

Our lives are a spiritual road trip towards eternity.  May we deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus Christ. So, we who lose our life in this world for His sake may find it in the next in the everlasting joys of heaven. 

In His Mercy,
Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – Please go to http://sgiz.mobi/s3/St-Peter-Lincoln to complete the annual discipleship renewal online.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, 

Last weekend, we heard in the Gospel about the foundation of the Church.  The Church was founded by Jesus Christ and entrusted to St. Peter, our patron saint, and all subsequent 266 popes. 

One of the most remarkable things is that the Church has not only survived catastrophes since her foundation that have put an end to kingdoms, empires, and even civilizations, but after each one, it continues to grow, spread, and shape the course of human history. The Church is no passive organization, no religious or social club; it has a mission.  Being Catholic means being part of a spiritual army, with the Pope as our spiritual general, we are called and equipped by God to fight and conquer sin and evil. 

The Benedictine monastery of Montecassino is an architectural symbol of this indestructible dynamism of our Church.  Fifty-one years after its foundation by St. Benedict, it was demolished by the invading Lombard barbarian tribes in 520.   But the monks rebuilt it. In 642, the Saracens, Muslim invaders, captured and devastated the mountaintop monastery. Again, it rose from the rubble.  In 1343, an earthquake leveled the entire complex of buildings.  A new complex soon emerged from the ruins.  In 1943, American planes unleashed a merciless bombardment on the monastery, mistakenly thinking that it was being used by the German army and doing more damage than ever before.  But soon after the war, a group of American Catholics built it back up.  This is an image of the Church. You can bomb it, you can burn it, but you cannot bury it.  

Built on the solid and indestructible foundation of the papacy, nothing can hold it back from fulfilling its God-given mission.  Today, may our faith be as solid as a rock, like St. Peter, to proclaim that Jesus is the “Christ, the Son of the living God” for the gates of Hell shall not prevail against us.  

In His Mercy,
Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – Please commit yourself to being a disciple of Christ by renewing your commitment here.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

You may have never heard of Danny Thomas.  The year was 1943 and he was a struggling comedian expecting his first child.  He did not know how he was going to support his young family.  Since he was a disciple of our Lord as a devout Catholic, he went to his local church to pray.  In St. Jude’s Catholic Church, he promised God he would return his time, talents, and treasure back to Him if He would help his family survive. 

A month later, Danny got his break and first acting gig.  He would eventually star in the Danny Thomas Show, one of the top sitcoms from 1953-1964.  So, he made good on his promise to the Lord.  He traveled across the country to raise funds for a new children’s hospital we know today as St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN. 

Danny once said, “All of us are born for a reason but all of us don’t discover WHY.  Success in life has nothing to do with what you’ve gained or accomplished for yourself.  It’s what you do for others.  There are two kinds of people in the world.  Givers and takers.  Takers may eat better, but the givers sleep better.” 

It is my hope and prayer that today, we renew our commitment to St. Peter Church Annual Discipleship renewal so that we all can sleep better. 

In His Mercy,
Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – Please click here to complete the annual discipleship renewal online.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

Yesterday we celebrated the feast day of St. Thomas More.  He was a 16^th-century English martyr who died serving the dignity of marriage and taught us how to follow the light of our Christian conscience. 

Before his beheading in 1535, he wrote from the Tower of London a letter to his daughter Margaret.  He told her, “My case was such in this matter through the clearness of my own conscience that I thought I might have pain I could not have harm, for a man may in such a case lose his head and not have harm.”

The wisdom of the saints teaches us to suffer great torments with peace and resolution.  St. Thomas More knew the pain was going to be real but not lasting.  The only harm that could come to him was to deny his Christian conscience.  He knew the torment of the soul was far greater than the anguish of this world.   

In our Gospel this weekend, we hear the Lord proclaim to us, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna” (Matthew 10:28).   As Christians, we should not be afraid of the persecutions that will come our way.  Rather, we should have the fear of the Lord, which is the fear of eternal punishment in Hell. 

We may not be led to the guillotine like St. Thomas More, but we must follow his path of fidelity to God and His Church.  May his final words be words that we live by each day, “I die the King’s good servant but God’s first.” 

In His Mercy,
Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – For photos of our renovation go to our website Renovation Updates (saintpeterlincoln.com).

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

There is a famous short story by Ernest Hemingway about a father and son who had become estranged.  They had an argument, the son ran away, and a few days afterward, the father set off to find him.  He searched for months to no avail.  Finally, in a desperate effort to find him, the father put an advertisement in the most important newspaper in Madrid.   The ad read, "Dear Paco, meet me in front of this newspaper office at noon on Saturday. All is forgiven. I love you. Your Father."  On Saturday, 800 Pacos showed up looking for forgiveness and love from their fathers.

We are all like Paco. Our hearts have been wounded by the sins of others and also by our own sins.  We have wounded others too. We need to experience God's mercy over and over again in order to heal those wounds. The blessing is that our Heavenly Father is always there, ready to pour it out to us.

This weekend we celebrate Father’s Day, and I would like to thank all of the fathers in our parish who have provided, protected, and taught their children.  You are an image of our Heavenly Father, who shows us unconditional mercy and love. 

My prayer for you is the one prayed at the rite of baptism. “God is the giver of all life, human and divine.  May he bless the father of this child.  He and his wife will be the first teachers of their child in the ways of faith. May they be also the best of teachers, bearing witness to the faith by what they say and do, in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

In His Mercy,
Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – please join us for Mass this weekend to say goodbye to Father Doher.

Go to Renovation Updates for photos of our renovation. 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

Intimacy with God leads us faithfully along the path to heaven, but it also leads to a fruitful, meaningful life while we are here on earth.

St. Peter Julian Eymard is a great example of this.  He lived in France during the stormy years after the French Revolution.  He grew up in a poor family, and his first attempt to enter the seminary ended in failure.  He was sent home when he became too ill to carry on.  That was only the first of many obstacles, but none of them could hold back his energy and zeal for serving God and neighbor.  He struggled mightily to make it through seminary.  He then joined one religious order, only to leave it to start his own, fighting against all odds to make it grow and take root in the Church.  Amidst constant troubles and even violent opposition, plagued by chronic sickness and insuperable poverty, he founded a parallel order of nuns, an association of lay people, and another association of diocesan clergy.  He wore himself out and died at the age of 57.

What was the source of his boundless energy, tireless charity, and unbending enthusiasm? The Eucharist.  All his foundations were dedicated to Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, a practice he had begun while just a boy.

One day when he was only five years old, his sister found him in church, perched on a stepladder behind the main altar, his ear pressed up against the Tabernacle.  She asked him what he was doing.  He simply said he wanted to get closer to the Eucharist so he could hear "Him" better.

Eternal life reaches its fullness in heaven, but it begins here on earth, where our faith tells us, it is nourished by Christ truly present in the Eucharist.  This weekend we celebrate the feast of Corpus Christi.  I encourage each of our parishioners to find one hour a week to spend with Jesus in adoration.  Jesus asks us the same question He did his disciples, “Could you not watch one hour with me?” (Matthew 26:40) 

In His Mercy,
Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – Exposition in St. Mary Chapel from 7:00am-10:00pm Mondays-Thursdays, and 7:00am-5:00pm on Fridays.  We are looking for 2+ people to commit to each of those hours.  You can sign up electronically using this form.  

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

There was an ancient tradition that after St. Peter was martyred in Rome, he was buried outside the city walls on the Vatican Hill.  The first disciples in Rome commemorated and handed on the knowledge of the location. After Christianity became legal to practice in the Roman Empire in 313AD by the Edict of Milan, Emperor Constantine built a church over the supposed tomb of St. Peter.  This Basilica of St. Peter lasted from 360AD – 1505AD. 

When the new and current St. Peter Basilica opened in the Vatican City in the year 1626AD, it was the tradition that the main altar was directly over the bones of St. Peter.  Many believed this was a pious legend only.  That was until Pope Pius XII in the 1940s allowed excavation (where the term scavi comes from) to happen below the basilica.  They found a tomb with the name Peter on it.  What was even more astonishing was it is directly under the main altar in St. Peter Basilica above!  In 1968, scientists confirmed they were the bones of St. Peter, the Apostle. 

Today, one can take the Scavi tour under St. Peter Basilica and get a glimpse of what life was like at the time when Rome was being converted to Christianity and the martyrdom of those saints in the necropolis (city of the dead) in Rome. Often in life, to discover who we are, we need to go back to the beginning.  Early Christians practiced their faith under the city in the necropolis, also called the catacombs (this is where we get the word catechism from), for their safety. The disciples gathered among the holy ones to make it a living community.

Our current construction allows us to do the same… to go back to the beginning and learn to be disciples of Jesus in a new and profound way. Although we won’t be surrounded by the physical remains of saints, every time the Mass is celebrated, they are with us in the most real way. This hall, too, will be made a sacred space when we come together and pray with reverence and devotion to our Lord, Jesus Christ, in the Mass.

In His Mercy,
Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – Please join us at Mass this weekend to see some of the changes.  Click here to see a map and some photos of our renovations and our worship spaces. 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Have you ever experienced the power of God’s gift?  Almost every time the bible speaks of the Holy Spirit, we find the word give.  “I will give you another advocate” (Jn. 14).  The word gift implies a giver and receiver. The gift is a sharing of some good by the giver and to the receiver.  Before a gift is given, it belongs only to the giver; but when it is given, it is his to whom it is given.  We are able to possess God because He gives us Himself in the Holy Spirit as a gift which in turn possesses us.

Today is the feast day of St. Philip Neri, who is considered the 2^nd Apostle to Rome for re-evangelizing the city.  On the vigil of Pentecost in 1544, while in fervent prayer to the Holy Spirit, Philip was overcome by the force of the Spirit, and he saw a ball of fire enter through his mouth and lodge in his heart. The intensity of this flame of God’s gift caused him to cry out, “Enough, Lord, enough! I cannot take any more.” The Holy Spirit ruled his entire life.

This weekend we celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost as a gift to us.  The Holy Spirit does not live with us but rather in us.  Our souls are a permanent dwelling for God. May the power of the Holy Spirit come upon us to make us saints like St. Philip Neri. 

In His Mercy,
Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – Please join us for Memorial Day Mass at 8:15AM.  This will be the last Mass in the church before the start of renovations.  

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

This past Tuesday, I presented our biannual State of the Parish Address.  Next year, I will have the biannual State of the School Address. 

The purpose of the address was three-fold:

1. To present current data of the parish.
2. To share our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the parish.
3. To cast the vision of the future of the parish for the next few years.

I was so blessed to present to nearly 200 parishioners in attendance.  If you were unable to attend but would like to see the information, please click here to access the presentation.

I remain grateful to God and humbled by the opportunity to lead such an amazing parish! 

In His Mercy,
Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

The Vietnamese martyr Paul Le-Bao-Tinh († 1857) illustrates a transformation of suffering through the power of hope. “I, Paul, in chains for the name of Christ, wish to relate to you the trials besetting me daily, in order that you may be inflamed with love for God. The prison here is a true image of everlasting Hell: to cruel tortures of every kind—shackles, iron chains, quarrels, evil acts, swearing, curses, as well as anguish and grief.  In the midst of these torments, which usually terrify others, I am, by the grace of God, full of joy and gladness, because I am not alone —Christ is with me.  In the midst of this storm, I cast my anchor towards the throne of God, the anchor that is the lively hope in my heart.”

This weekend at Mass we hear from our patron, St. Paul state, “Always be ready to give an explanation for your reason of hope” (1 Peter 3:15).  Hope is a movement towards a future, good, difficult but possible to obtain.  The two vices against this great virtue are despair (giving up) and presumption (not relying on God or others). 

As the storms of our society in our present day, and our own personal life rage on, may we ask our loving Father to increase in our lives an outpouring of hope so that it may be an anchor to pursue the future good of the kingdom of heaven. 

On a natural level, the greatest gift of hope lies in the eyes of every newborn child.  I want to thank all mothers on this Mother’s Day weekend for the gift of life which adds hope to our community.  Your witness is inspiring to me!

In a special way, I thank my mom raising me to be a man of hope.  She never gave up on me (despaired) nor treated me as a perfect child (presumption) but rather she disciplined, prayed and called me back to the virtue of hope which was given to me by God at my baptism.  She has lived out the prayer for mothers during the baptism rite, “God the Father, through His Son, the Virgin Mary’s child, has brought joy to all Christian mothers, as they see the hope of eternal life shine on their children.”

In His Mercy,
Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – Want to know what is going on in your parish? Please join us for the State of the Parish address this Tuesday at 7PM.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,       

In Nebraska, we have a special sense of what it means to cultivate the earth and bring forth the fruits of the land by labor, prudent care, and common stewardship. This stewardship creates new life that emerges from the ground. 

With these images in mind, I am excited to begin another year of the Diocese of Lincoln Charity and Stewardship Appeal (CSA).  This year’s theme is “Behold, I make all things new” (Rev. 21:5).  The CSA supports ministries and offices of the entire diocese. Each of these seeks to ‘make all things new’ by the power of God’s grace in different ways. 

The Family Life Office, for example, supports the human person to embrace the love God intends for marriage and family life.  Likewise, Catholic Social Services brings new love by outreach to the poor and suffering.  Similarly, the diocese makes new disciples through the Evangelization Office and, in a special way, through our many Catholic schools. 

Last year, our parish generously gave $192,000, of which 89% was returned to St. Peter Church.  Our parish goal this year is $200,000 with $27,000 going to support different ministries in the Diocese. 

This year, I ask everyone in our parish to ‘make all things new’ by generously supporting the Charity and Stewardship Appeal. All of us are called, in one way or another, to be disciples of our Lord by the sharing of our gifts.  As St. Peter wrote, “According to the gift that each has received, administer it to one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10).  When we do this in faith, we grow in our great dignity of being called disciples of the Lord and we make all things new. 

Brothers and sisters, together may we become the disciples God has called us to be. Thank you and may God abundantly bless you and reward your generosity a hundred-fold. 

In His Mercy,
Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – To donate online to St. Peter Church click here. 
List of CSA beneficiaries.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Saint Tarsicius was a young Catholic deacon living in Rome during the early centuries, at the height of Christian persecution in the Roman Empire, where it was outlawed.  One day while he was carrying the Blessed Sacrament through the streets of Rome to Christian prisoners, he was stopped and questioned.  The situation turned violent, and when Saint Tarsicius refused to surrender his precious burden, he was beaten to death, where he stood with stones and clubs.  Through it all, he never stopped clutching the small container in which he kept the Eucharist.  After dying from the beating, they pried open his hands only to find them completely empty.  God had honored the young Christian's faith and miraculously protected the Sacrament from desecration.

In this period of Eucharistic revival, it pains me to inform you that over the past month, parishioners have found several desecrated hosts of Holy Communion in the pews.  This is tragic and sacrilegious to our Lord. 

The Eucharist is truly the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Our sharing in the One Bread of Life is the sign of our abiding faith in Jesus Christ and His Catholic Church.  This is why Catholics who are not in the state of grace and Protestants are not permitted to receive Holy Communion.

The Lord of the Universe humbles Himself to join, with us, in intimate communion and as your pastor, it is my duty to protect Him and to protect you.  Here are the steps we will take as a parish community to stop these atrocities:

1. If one is not Catholic or is not in the state of grace (which means one has a mortal sin that has not yet been confessed), one should ask for a blessing by placing their fingers over their lips at communion time.
2. If one leaves Mass early, they should not come up to receive Holy Communion.
3. An act of reverence (by a bow, kneeling, or sign of the cross) should be made before receiving Holy Communion.
4. The recipient of Holy Communion should respond “Amen” as a declaration of belief when the minister says, “Body of Christ”
5. The universal norm of receiving Holy Communion is on the tongue. I encourage all to do so unless one has a just reason not to, such as illness.  

I write this to you out of love and reverence for the Blessed Sacrament, for the love of the parish, and for the love of all who join us for Mass.  St. Paul, with the sword of truth and charity, said the same thing, “For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body (of Jesus), eats and drinks judgment on himself” (1 Corinthians 11:29). 

In His Mercy,
Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – Please join us for Al Kresta on Tuesday May 2^nd at 7PM.  You can get tickets at spiritcatholicradio.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

A few years ago, I read “Rising Road: A True Tale of Love, Race and Religion in America” by Sharon Davies.  If you enjoy a good drama, you will love this book.  This historically true story takes place in Birmingham, AL in the early 1900s and tells the story of a dynamic Catholic missionary, Fr. James Coyle, who was shot and killed on the front doorsteps of his parish after Mass.  The assailant was a Methodist minister who was working with the KKK.  I will not divulge how the trial ends. 

So, what prompted the crazy Rev. Stephenson to pull the trigger in broad daylight?  He found out his teenage daughter, Ruth, had converted to become a Roman Catholic, and Fr. Coyle was the one who brought her into the Church.  Even before Fr. Coyle and Ruth had met, she was taken by the witness of the Catholics going into the parish church early in the morning.  One day she snuck into the back of the church and witnessed her first Mass. She later said her eyes were opened, and she recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread. 

This weekend, we hear about the two disciples who met the Risen Lord on the road to Emmaus.  They too, had their eyes opened when Jesus broke the bread and realized He was in their midst. It was the original sin in which Adam and Eve’s eyes were closed to seeing God.  Fortunately for us, Jesus comes to take away sin and open our eyes so that we can see Him by faith in the Eucharist. 

Every Mass is an Emmaus event.  We get the chance to hear the Word of God in scripture during the Liturgy of the Word, and we can exclaim like these two disciples, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?” (Lk. 24:32).  Secondly, we have the Liturgy of the Eucharist and our eyes are opened to recognize Jesus (Lk. 24:31).  What a great gift for us to participate in this wondrous exchange of love.  I look forward to seeing you this Sunday on the road to Emmaus!

In His Mercy,
Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – Please mark your calendars for the State of the Parish address on Tuesday, May 16 at 7pm.      

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

"We are Easter people and Alleluia is our song!"  These words of St. Augustine express the joy that comes with this irreversible victory of Easter.  This grace is not only joyful, but it is also transforming - it changes lives.  Here are two true stories about lives transformed by Christ's resurrection.

The first is about a working-class man with almost no education.  He tried to make something better out of his humble, poor life by going to work for a friend who was starting a new company.  He was hoping for a new lease on life, but it didn't work out.  In fact, his friend was arrested and thrown in prison, wrongly condemned for a crime he did not commit.  In the end, he was brutally killed by a furious mob.  The working-class man was not only discouraged by this failure, but he was afraid the same thing might happen to him.  So, he disowned his old friend, dejected, went back to his former life.

The second true story is about a woman of ill repute who had squandered her abundant gifts.  She never got respect and never did anything to deserve any.  A slave to her own sin, she cried herself to sleep night after night.  She simply could not imagine a better life than the one she was living.  Then she met someone who gave her hope - the same man from the first story, who was starting a new business.  She also went to work for him, trying to get a new lease on life. Then he was murdered, and her hope was extinguished, like the fragile flame of a candle in the wind.

What happened next?  Well, they found out Jesus rose from the dead - and that made all the difference, for the woman's name is Saint Mary Magdalene, and the man is Saint Peter, our patron saint. In the words of Archbishop Fulton Sheen, “The Easter message means that God recycles human garbage.  He can turn prostitutes like Magdalene into disciples, and broken reeds like Peter into rocks.  God is the God of second chances.”  By putting our faith in Jesus, the Christ, our stories can become just like theirs.

In His Mercy,
Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – Please join us for the Divine Mercy Holy Hour on Sunday 3-4pm.     

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

One of my favorite paintings I saw on a visit to the Dominican church of St. Mary of Grace in Milan, Italy.  It is the famous painting of the Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci. It took seven years for him to complete in 1498. The figures representing the twelve Apostles and Christ himself were painted from living persons. The life model for the painting of the figure of Jesus was chosen first.

When it was decided Da Vinci would paint this great picture, hundreds and hundreds of young men were carefully viewed, in an endeavor to find a face and personality exhibiting innocence and beauty, free from the scars and signs of dissipation caused by sin.

Finally, after weeks of laborious search, a young man nineteen years of age was selected as a model for the portrayal of Christ. For six months, Da Vinci worked on the production of this leading character of his famous painting. During the next six years, Da Vinci continued his labors on this sublime work of art. One by one, fitting persons were chosen to represent each of the eleven Apostles – with space left for the painting of the figure representing Judas Iscariot as the final task of this masterpiece.

This was the Apostle, you remember, who betrayed his Lord for thirty pieces of silver. For weeks Da Vinci searched for a man with a hard, callous face, with a countenance marked by scars of avarice, deceit, hypocrisy, and crime. A face that would delineate a character who would betray his best friend.

After many discouraging experiences searching for the type of person required to represent Judas. Word came to Da Vinci that a man whose appearance fully met his requirements had been found in a dungeon in Rome, sentenced to die for a life of crime and murder. Da Vinci made the trip to Rome at once, and this man was brought out from his imprisonment in the dungeon and led out into the light of the sun. There Da Vinci saw before him a dark, swarthy man his long shaggy and unkempt hair sprawled over his face, which betrayed a character of viciousness and complete ruin. At last, the famous painter found the person he wanted to represent the character of Judas in his painting. With special permission from the king, this prisoner was carried to Milan where the picture was being painted. For months, he sat before Da Vinci at appointed hours each day as the gifted artist diligently continued his task of transmitting, to his painting, this base character representing the traitor and betrayer of our Savior.

As he finished his last stroke, he turned to the guards and said, “I have finished. You may take the prisoner away.” As the guards were leading their prisoner away, he suddenly broke loose from their control and rushed up to Da Vinci, crying as he did so, “Da Vinci, look at me. Do you not know who I am?” Da Vinci, with the trained eyes of a great character student, carefully scrutinized the man upon whose face he had constantly gazed for six months and replied, “No, I have never seen you in my life until you were brought before me out of the dungeon in Rome.”

Then, lifting his eyes toward heaven, the prisoner said, “Oh God, have I fallen so low?” Then turning his face to the painter, he cried, “Leonardo Da Vinci, look at me again for I am the same man you painted just seven years ago as the figure of Christ.”

Brothers and sisters, if we are honest with ourselves, we have this internal spiritual war within us between another Christ or another Judas in the world.  On this Good Friday, may we allow the grace of God to shatter the stones that entomb our hearts so we may resurrect from our Judas ways of betrayal and become christened by the Father’s love to be alter Christus. 

In His Mercy,
Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – Please join me in welcoming 14 new parishioners who will be joining the Church at the Easter Vigil on Saturday at 8:30PM.   

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

On Monday, all the priests of the Diocese of Lincoln will gather with Bishop Conley to celebrate the annual Chrism Mass.  If you have not been to one, I highly encourage you to join us Monday for this triumphal celebration. 

The Chrism Mass is the diocesan Mass where the bishop and his priests, “witnesses and the co-workers in the ministry of holy chrism,” show off their unity. In this liturgy, the priests of the diocese renew their priestly promises in the bishop’s presence. Our tradition in the Diocese of Lincoln is to celebrate it on Monday of Holy Week for pastoral reasons.  The Church envisions this Mass to occur on Holy Thursday morning to strengthen priests to enter into the ‘hour’ of the first Mass offered by Christ Jesus the day before he was to suffer.

The Chrism Mass is centered on the blessing of oils. The oils (which are olive oil) to be consecrated are first the oil of catechumens, a sign of anointing to show that you’ve have been set free from original sin and made a temple of God.  Second, is the oil of sacred chrism, used at baptism, confirmation, ordinations, and dedications of churches. Chrism, gives one the aroma of Christ, and is a sign one has received a mark of Christ.  Finally, the oil of the infirm, used in anointing of the sick, is a sign of Christ’s continuing healing presence in the world.

The collect of the Chrism Mass recalls that Christ was anointed with the Holy Spirit, and that we, who are “sharers in his consecration,” are to bear witness to Him in the world. We have received the oil(s) of gladness (cf. Ps 45:7). As we enter into Holy Week, remember what you have received. Will you follow after Jesus this Holy Week and enter with Him into the Passion? In doing so, you have confidence in Christ Jesus. As the Apostles say, but if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him (Rom 6: 8).”

In His Mercy,
Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – Holy Week Confession Times: Monday: 7-8AM; Wednesday 4:30-5:30PM & 6-7PM; Thursday 6-7PM & 8:30-9:30PM; Friday 3:30-4:30PM, 6-7PM & 8:30-9:30PM