Fr. Clark's Letters

Chair of St. Peter- February 23, 2025

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

One of the most important pieces of furniture in the Church is a chair. But not just any chair, the chair of authority. See in the days of our Lord, a teacher with authority would instruct while sitting down (see Jesus teaching in the synagogue in Luke 4). This is why a bishop often times will deliver his homily from the cathedra (chair) in his cathedral.

Tomorrow, February 22nd we celebrate our parish feast of the Chair of St. Peter. We are celebrating more than a piece of furniture; we’re celebrating a special ministry established by Our Lord himself, as recalled in the Gospel, a ministry we refer to as the Petrine ministry because it was established by Our Lord in a moment of the apostle Peter expressing his faith that Jesus was the Christ, aided by the Heavenly Father’s grace.

Even today this ministry continues through the Pope. Aided by the Holy Spirit, when the Pope makes a doctrinal declaration regarding faith and morals that all Catholics are to believe in the faith, we say he’s speaking ex Cathedra (from the chair). All these things are represented by the Chair of St. Peter.

Peter showed himself weak and unsure frequently, but Our Lord promised him that he would be the one to strengthen his brethren (Luke 22) and that the Church the Lord would build on Peter would withstand the powers of evil and death (Matthew 16).

In His Mercy,

Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – Please join me and fellow parishioners for the 8:15AM Mass on Saturday to celebrate our parish feast day and pray for Pope Francis.

Saints Cyril & Methodius - February 14, 2025

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Did you remember your loved ones today? Maybe you got a box of chocolates shaped as a heart or a dozen red roses. I always find it funny that Americans celebrate Valentines Day in honor of the 3^rd century Roman saint but know little about him or the Italian tradition of celebrating his feast day.

But in the Church, today we actually celebrate the feast day of Saints Cyril and Methodius. They were two brothers from Constantinople who evangelized all of eastern Europe in the 9^th century. They introduced the Cyrillic alphabet, brought Greek customs into the Church and even had permission from the Pope to celebrate Mass in the common language in order to bring the Gospel the pagans of Slavic descent. Their love of God and of their neighbor allowed them to be shining lights of Jesus Christ.

So, unless you are Italian, maybe this Valentine’s Day, you should give your loved ones some Polish sausage and perogies, Czech kolaches and a pivo. Just a suggestion.

In His Mercy,

Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – There will be a Marian Apparition display downstairs this weekend in St. John Paul II Hall. Please stop by and ‘czech’ it out.

Leisure - February 7, 2025

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In our Gospel this weekend, we hear Jesus tell the Apostles to come away with Him and rest awhile (Mark 6:31). Well, I am taking His words to heart and will be gone the next week on vacation with three other pastors from the Diocese of Lincoln.

Since a pastor usually work 70-80 hours per week and have only one day off a week, the Code of Canon Law (#533) allows a priest to take a month of vacation time each year along with ten days of pilgrimage and five days of retreat.

The purpose of this is to rediscover leisure. Leisure is where human values are saved and preserved, for it is the means to ecstasy with the Divine. Or as Aristotle says, “A man will live thus, not to the extent that he is a man, but to the extent that a divine principle dwells within him” (Ethics 1177b).

But have confidence that I am not leaving you as sheep without a shepherd (Mark 6:34). If you have a sacramental need, please contact the parish and Fr. Wirth or Fr. Raminedi will be able to assist you. I will remember you all at the altar of God.

In His Mercy,

Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – Please click the button below to vote to make St. Peter Catholic School a Spirit Catholic Radio Super School for the third year in a row.

https://spiritcatholicradio.com/superstar2025/

St. John Bosco- January 31, 2025

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It was January 31st, 2005 when I received an inspiration from the Holy Spirit to start something new. I was currently on campus of North Dakota State University in Fargo as a FOCUS missionary and I knew God was calling me to start a house of formation for college men in which we would pray together each morning and have dinner and prayer in the evenings.

I wondered what this new home of formation should be called as I wrote Bishop Aquila for permission to take on this endeavor. I soon realized January 31st was the feast day of St. John Bosco, the founder of Salesians, so we became the Bosco Brothers. And from this initial group of six men, five became FOCUS missionaries and one entered the seminary.

One thing we may take for granted in our modern culture is education formation for all. There was a time in society which only wealthy or smart boys could gain an education. We have great saints like St. John Bosco who educated the poor children of northern Italy, St. John Baptiste de La Salle who inspired the youth of France to follow good Catholic teachers and our very own St. Elizabeth Ann Seton who founded the parochial Catholic school system in America.

As we conclude another great year of Catholic Schools Week, I am reminded of a quote from St. John Bosco, “If we want to have a good society, we must concentrate all our forces on the Christian education of the young. Experience has taught me that if we wish to sustain civil society then we should take good care of the young.”

I want to thank all of our parishioners, parents, educators, religious and staff for making St. Peter Catholic School the greatest choice of education in south Lincoln. May God continue to bless and protect you all!

In His Mercy,

Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – Please click the link below to vote to make St. Peter Catholic School a Spirit Catholic Radio Super School for the third year in a row!

https://spiritcatholicradio.com/superstar2025/

Catholic Schools Week- January 24, 2025

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The greatest spiritual book for a lay person to read is Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales. I write this because this was the first spiritual work intended for people living in the world. I encourage you to pick up a copy if you do not have this book.

Today, January 24^th, is the feast day of St. Francis de Sales. In chapter 38, his advice to married couples, he writes, “The raising of a family, consists not in storing up a quantity of worldly goods, but in the good education of children in the fear of God, and in virtue, in which no pains or labors ought to be spared, for children are the crown of their parents.”

This weekend we kickoff Catholic Schools Week. Here are just a few reasons to send your child or grandchild to St. Peter Catholic School.

Authentically Catholic: Students are formed by the teacher, Jesus Christ. In their classrooms, activities, and experiences they come to know and love, our Lord. Our Catholic school allows our students to ‘participate in the Divine Nature’ (2 Peter 1:4) by receiving the sacraments daily. We also have our three parish priests who visit the class, eat lunch with the students and attend school activities. We are also blessed to have two religious Sisters of Christ the King teaching in our school. All our teachers implement the virtues into the classroom.
Affordable for all: Unlike many private, charter or home school options, our Catholic school is available for any family. We offer local scholarships and grants to families in financial need to attend Catholic schools.
Academic Excellence: In an article published by the Wall Street Journal (Oct. 27, 2022), our Catholic schools have the nation’s highest scale scores on all four NAEP tests. Nebraska public schools are 11^th in the nation. Locally, the Lincoln Journal Star looked at Catholic schools in comparison to Nebraska public schools and found, “Were above grade level in all subjects, sometimes by as many as two or three years….. Students in the diocese's six high schools also performed better on the ACT, the national college entrance exam, compared to the rest of Nebraska.”

There are many great options for education of our youth but there is no substitute for Catholic education. I am blessed to be a part of a such a great Catholic parish and school. If you are curious about St. Peter Catholic School, I echo the words of St. Philip to Nathaniel when he found Jesus, “Come and see” (John 1:46).

In His Mercy,

Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – please join us for St Peter School open house on Sunday after Mass to celebrate Catholic Schools Week.

Gifts of the Spirit- January 17, 2025

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

On cold winter nights, one thing to appreciate is a log of wood in the fireplace. When I was a kid, I would spend hours mesmerized at watching the fire consume the wood. When you throw a log into the fire, it is not consumed right away. Rather the bark is first burned up, then the fire penetrates the wood and finally the wood and fire become united as one as the fire possess the wood. This effect creates a radiating flame and warmth to make the evening memorable.

This weekend at Mass, we hear St. Paul write to the Church in Corinth to encourage them to use their spiritual gifts. “To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit…” (1 Cor. 12). The benefit of the gifts of the Holy Spirit are to aid the Church.

The Holy Spirit is given to each of us as forms of different gifts so that we may give glory to God and build His Kingdom. “Whether extraordinary or simple and humble, charisms are graces of the Holy Spirit which directly or indirectly benefit the Church, ordered as they are to her building up, to the good of men, and to the needs of the world… It is in this sense that discernment of charisms is always necessary” (CCC 799,801).

“Each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards” (1 Peter 4:10). We are a discipleship parish and every one of us is called by God to give back our time, talents and treasure. What are your spiritual talents, gifts, charisms?

Like other presents, it is impossible to fully appreciate and make use of our spiritual gifts until they have been discovered and opened. Let us discover our gifts together today so we may allow the Holy Spirit to work through us to help others and build God’s kingdom.

Like a log in your fireplace, the Holy Spirit wants to burn away the things of this world in our life. Secondly, we must allow the Holy Spirit to penetrate our souls. Finally the Holy Spirit wants to consume us so the fire of Divine love comes radiating from our soul through the use of our spiritual gifts.

In His Mercy,

Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS - Please take a few minutes to take the free discernment of gifts of the Holy Spirit assessment by clicking here: Spiritual Gifts (saintpeterlincoln.com)

Baptism of our Lord- January 10, 2025

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

When we do something important in life, we say ‘take the plunge!’ The Greek word for plunge is baptizo, from which we get the word baptize.

This weekend, we celebrate the Baptism of our Lord. Some may wonder why Jesus was baptized. After all, He is sinless and it was not prescribed by Jewish law.

Jesus humbled Himself to be baptized, by His cousin John, to set an example for us. The great commission of Christ to the Apostles was to go and baptize all nations (Matthew 28). Secondly, the Church Fathers referred to Jesus as the new Adam, who came to restore humanity. The waters of baptism wash away the original sin of Adam and Eve. As St. Gregory Nazianzen put it, “To plunge the old Adam entirely into water.”

On this solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord, I encourage us all, to celebrate our baptism day, which is the greatest day of our life! In the waters of baptism, we became free from sin, made children of God, temples of the Holy Spirit, and commissioned to be priests, prophets, and kings to follow the Lord.

May God bless you all and your loved ones this New Year!

In His Mercy,

Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

Holy Name of Jesus- January 3, 2025

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Happy Feast Day of the Holy Name of Jesus!

Human parents are careful about naming their children. They want the name to mean something, to signify how important this new life is to them. God the Father was also careful about naming his Son. He didn't leave it up to chance or to Mary and Joseph's creativity. He chose it himself, and sent an angel to announce the choice to Mary and Joseph. “She (Mary) will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Mt. 1:21).

In the Old Testament, God often changed people's names, mostly when someone was given a special mission in salvation history - like Abram and Jacob. When God changed their names to Abraham and Israel, the meaning of the name signified their role in God's plan. But when the Father instructs Joseph to call Mary's son "Jesus" even before he has been born, he shows that Jesus is not just another prophet. He shows that Jesus is His Son in an entirely unique way - so much so that God the Father has the right to choose his name from the very beginning of his human existence.

And what does that name mean? In Hebrew, Jesus means "God saves." This name reveals Christ's mission. Unlike the Old Testament prophets, Jesus didn't come to earth only to announce God's plan of saving mankind from sin and evil; he came in order to enact that plan, to win that salvation.

The early Church writer, Origin (+253AD) once wrote, “Christians are seen to draw their courage not from incantations but from the name of Jesus…. The name of Jesus heals the afflicted in mind, puts to flight the spirits of darkness, and to the sick is an ever-present remedy.” I encourage you to reverently invoke the name of Jesus often.

In His Mercy,

Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

Hell without Jesus- December 27, 2024

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Without Jesus, life is hell!

This weekend we celebrate The Holy Family. It is easy for us to forget that the Holy Family of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus was a real family. We have all seen paintings and holy cards that depict them in a super-pious, unrealistic, sometimes surrealistic, way. But they were real human beings, just like us, and they lived in the real world, the fallen world, just like us. The fact that Mary and Jesus were unaffected by original sin and that Joseph was a saint doesn't change the reality of their family life and their struggles.

In the Gospel this weekend we hear about Joseph and Mary losing their greatest gift, Jesus himself. We can only imagine Mary and Joseph's conversation when, at the end of a day's journey away from the temple, they realized that Jesus was not with their caravan. That's when the "great anxiety" (Lk. 2:48) clamped down on their hearts.

Great anxiety is putting it lightly. The Greek word odynomenoi is also found in Luke 16 to describe the fires of hell that the rich man is experiencing and pleads for Lazarus to alleviate his pain. So, Mary and Joseph were experiencing a living hell at the loss of Jesus.

Brothers and sisters, I encourage you to invite Jesus into your families by praying together each day as a family this new year. In this Jubilee Year, may we have the joy of welcoming Jesus deeper into our families. If not, 2025 will be a living hell.

In His Mercy,

Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

St. Lucy- December 20, 2024

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It’s Christmas Eve, 1914. The First World War is raging, and the trenches on the western front are filled with miserable men. The German soldiers are facing off against the British soldiers. Death, suffering, violence, and hatred reign. But then something remarkable happens. A British soldier, Private Albert Moran of the 2nd Queens Regiment, recalled how the silence of the frosty night was suddenly broken, not by artillery fire, but by a song. Some German soldiers were singing: Stille Nacht! Heil'ge Nacht! To which the English soldiers responded by singing Silent Night! Holy Night!

Then on Christmas day both sides declared an impromptu ceasefire, and Germans and British gather together to wish each other a Merry Christmas. Some of them hugged each other. Some exchanged food. One British soldier even gave a haircut to a shaggy German soldier. Later that day a group organized a soccer game in no-man’s land. Men who had been at each other’s throats 24 hours before were playing and laughing and wishing each other a Merry Christmas.

The celebration of Christ’s birth was enough to bring peace to those men. If men who are at war with each other can have peace, why can’t we?

The 16^th century author Lorenzo Scupoli wrote, “The devil does his utmost to banish peace from one’s heart, because he knows that God abides in peace and it is in peace that He accomplishes great things.” The first goal of spiritual combat is not to always obtain victory, over our weaknesses, temptations, etc., rather it is to learn to maintain peace of heart under all circumstances, even the case of defeat.

The Prince of Peace is about to be born. We have 5 days left. How is Jesus asking each one of us to be open and ready for this gift? A suggestion would be to go to the sacrament of Reconciliation. Here we receive a tangible sign of the peace that Christ’s presence brings.

Jesus, the Lord of history, came to be our peace. This Christmas, let's give Him the chance to do so.

In His Mercy,

Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

Please join us for Christmas Masses: Christmas Eve - 4pm, 6pm, 10pm; Christmas Day - 8am, 9:30am, 11am

St. Lucy- December 13, 2024

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

When I was twelve years old I helped my dad and hired hand weld sucker rod fence for some new cattle pens. My dad told me not to look at the welding arch but I still did because of the beautifully radiant color it emitted. Later that night, I woke up with pain in my eyes and could not see for two days. I stayed in a dark room on my back with shredded potatoes over my eyes which worked for the pain.

Losing one’s ability to see is devastating because our eyes are the greatest sense organ we have to come to know things of this world. Two things are essential for seeing an object; the eye and the medium of light.

Today is the feast day of St. Lucy, the patron saint of eyes. She was a young virgin martyr from Sicily who was put to death in 304 AD for the faith. Her name, Lucia in Italian, is believed to be derived from the Latin Lux, a term for “light.” St. Lucy’s legend holds that her eyes were gauged out and God then provided her with new eyes. This came about, it is said, because her pagan suitor loved her beautiful eyes. In some versions of this story, St. Lucy plucked out her eyes herself and gave them to her suitor; in other versions, her eyes were removed by her persecutors. St. Lucy is often depicted holding a small plate with two eyes on it. She is the patron saint of the blind.

In Dante’s Purgatorio, Lucy carries a sleeping Dante to the entrance to purgatory. Since Lucy represents light she carries him out of darkness. She carries him both out of the literal darkness to a new day, as well as the figurative darkness to lead him to salvation.

During this dark time of year may the light of the Christ illuminate our path and may the hands of His mercy heal the eyes of our soul so that we may run to meet Him when He comes this Christmas.

In His Mercy,

Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – I look forward to seeing your Sunday-best ‘pink’ this weekend!

St. Nicholas- December 8, 2024

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

An old man went to bed sad one night. There is no worse feeling for a father than being powerless to protect his children and give them a good life. And it seemed as though he had failed in this regard. It had been a hard year, and he and his daughters barely had enough money to live on from day to day. There was no way he could provide a dowry for them. Without that, they couldn’t marry and faced a life of slavery.

His daughters were afraid, too, but tried to be hopeful. They spoke words of comfort to each other as they did their evening chores. “Maybe something good would come along, maybe a miracle would happen,” they said. Scrubbing their stockings clean as best they could, they hung them up by the window to dry near the dying fire. Then they went to bed.

The next morning, the daughters went to collect their stockings. But as they approached the window where they hung, what did they see? The stockings were stretched out of shape, with a lump of something in the toes. They quickly investigated, and nearly cried for joy when they found gold coins in each one—more than enough to pay a good dowry. They ran to tell their father, and all four gave thanks to God. Indeed, a miracle had happened.

God’s agent that night had been a clever and generous soul named Nicholas. He had heard of the father’s plight and, wishing to spare the father the shame of accepting charity, had snuck to the window during the night and tossed the money inside, where it had landed inside the girls’ stockings. Nicholas had saved the day—and started a tradition.

This legend of the Christmas stockings is one of the most famous stories handed down to us about St. Nicholas, the 4th-century bishop of Myra in modern-day Turkey. Appearing under various regional titles— “Father Christmas” in Great Britain, “Sinterklaas” in the Netherlands, or “Papa Noël” in France—good St. Nicholas has become the symbol of generosity everywhere Christmas is celebrated.

In His Mercy,

Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – Please join us for a St. Nicholas celebration and open house in our school after each weekend Mass.

First Week of Advent- December 1, 2024

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We just finished celebrating one of my favorite national holidays, Thanksgiving. This day is filled with the three F’s: family, football and food comas. Hopefully by the time you’re reading this the tryptophan in your belly has worn off and you are awake again.

Jesus tells His followers in the Gospel this weekend to “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.” (Luke 21:34)

Advent is like coffee for the soul, to awaken the drowsy soul. The Church gives us the season of Advent as a time to prepare for the coming of Christ. In reality, the time of His coming is always now.

One way to prepare for the coming of our Lord this Advent is by joining us at St. Peter Church for Stations of the Nativity this coming Friday (December 6^th) at 2:30PM and 6PM. Each station takes an event from the early life of Jesus from the Gospel, its Old Testament prophecy and a reflection from a saint.

May we be awake this Advent so as to not miss His coming.

In His Mercy,

Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – Click here to see the St. Peter Christmas Wish list.

Sacred Music- November 22, 2024

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Less than a week away from Thanksgiving, we have much to be thankful for: the gift of life, the blessing of family life, and the grace of Trinitarian life received through sacramental lives. However, on today’s Feast Day of St. Cecilia, I am thankful for the gift of Sacred Music.

Sacred Music, in its infinite Truth, Beauty, and Goodness, is an eternal treasure which enables man and the choirs of angels in body and spirit, to have a grace-filled dialogue with God in the Sacred Liturgy via faith and reason. Cardinal Ratzinger states that the Sacred Liturgy must constantly call upon the richness of Sacred Music in order to create proper dialogue with God, which necessarily goes beyond the boundaries of human speech. Aquinas supports this stating man’s use of Sacred Music highlights the cosmic nature of the Sacred Liturgy.

As we end the Liturgical Year and celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King, our Lectionary ends with Revelation. Yesterday, our Readings spoke of John shedding tears asking the question: “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” In endless thanksgiving, we have a Worthy One: The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David.” Thus, heaven and earth sing:

“Worthy are you to receive the scroll and break open its seals, for you were slain and with your Blood you purchased for God those from every tribe and tongue, people and nation. You made them a kingdom and priests for our God, and they will reign on earth.”

As we remember All Saints and All Souls during November, St. Cecilia urges us onward and upward: “Arise, soldiers of Christ, throw away the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.” One man who took her words to heart was Gustav Mahler. In the finale of his Resurrection Symphony, Mahler used these words to express the Infinite Power of the Lamb:

O believe, my heart, oh believe, nothing will be lost to you! Everything is yours that you have desired, yours, what you have loved, what you have struggled for. O believe, you were not born in vain, have not lived in vain, suffered in vain! What was created must perish, what has perished must rise again. Tremble no more! Prepare yourself to live! O Sorrow, all-penetrating! I have been wrested away from you! O Death, all-conquering! Now you are conquered! With wings that I won in the passionate strivings of love I shall mount to the Light to which no sight has penetrated. I shall die, so as to live! Arise, yes, you will arise from the dead, My heart, in an instant! What you have conquered will bear you to God!

In thanksgiving of our Catholic Faith, through the intercession of St. Cecilia, together may we, future Saints among Saints in the halls of Heaven glorify in voice as One Body the Resurrected Lamb. I am thankful for you all.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Fr. Wirth

Veteran's Day- November 15, 2024

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Eighty-two years ago, today, American troops were victorious of the Empire of Japan in the Battle of Guadalcanal. This past Monday we celebrated Veterans Day in America. I want to thank all of our veterans for their service to our country. By your sacrifices you have allowed us to live in the land of the free.

One veteran that has inspired me is the Servant of God Father Vincent Capodanno, a Maryknoll Missionary who became a marine chaplain and served in the Vietnam War. In the face of great personal danger, and in the midst of the chaos of a battlefield, his inner peace and strength enabled him to keep putting the needs of others before his own, in a dramatic way.

Here is an eye-witness account of the last mission of Fr. Vincent, also known as "Fr. C":

“Over here [Vietnam] there is a written policy that if you get three Purple Hearts you go home within 48 hours. On Labor Day our battalion ran into a world of trouble, when Fr. Capodanno arrived on the scene it was 500 Marines against 2500 North Vietnamese Army regulars...Casualties were running high and Fr. C had his work cut out for him. Early in the day, he was shot through the right hand which all but shattered his hand - one corpsman patched him up and tried to medevac him but Fr. C declined, saying he had work to do. A few hours later a mortar landed near him and left his right arm in shreds hanging from his side. Once again, he was patched up and once again he refused evacuation. There he was, moving slowly from wounded to wounded using his left arm to support his right as he gave absolution or Last Rites. Then he suddenly saw a corpsman get knocked down by the burst of an automatic weapon. The corpsman was shot in the leg and could not move and understandably panicked. Fr. C ran out to him and positioned himself between the injured boy and the automatic weapon. Suddenly, the weapon opened up again and this time riddled Fr. C from the back of his head to the base of his spine - and with this third Purple Heart of the day, Fr. C went Home.”

Not all of us have to face bullets from automatic weapons each day, but we do have to face challenges and temptations and hardships, and we do – each one of us – have a mission to accomplish in life. As we learn to find our peace in Christ, to put our confidence in God's grace, we can do so with that same calm, humble, self-sacrificing, Christ-like love.

In His Mercy,

Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – please join us this weekend for pie after each Mass.

Death - November 8, 2024

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As the leaves on the trees begin to fall and the crops of the fields are harvested, we are reminded that November is the month to remember the dead. The great American philosopher, Peter Kreeft once wrote, “Death is our one certainty in an age of skepticism, our one absolute in an age of relativism, our one inescapable brush with other-worldliness in an age of this-worldliness, our last link with the sacred in an age of secularism. To secularize death, as our culture is doing, is the last blasphemy.”

There are a few ways in which we can honor our loved ones who have entered into eternity. The first is to visit the cemetery. Our modern world has blasphemed the sacredness of death and one example of that is to view cemeteries as places of horror and fear. Outside of visiting a Catholic Church in which Jesus is present in the tabernacle, the cemetery is the holiest place on earth. Our Christian hope tells us some who are laid to rest are saints in heaven who are seeing God face to face.

Finally, we should also contemplate our own death for we “are dust and to dust we shall return” (Genesis 3:19). Contrary to some popular sentiments, one does not become an angel when we die. When we die, we do not cease being human. Once we die, we will be judged on our love of God and love of neighbor (Matthew 22:37-39). We will receive one of the following judgements. Eternal punishment for our sins in the unquenchable fires of hell (Mark 9:43-45), the cleansing of our small sins in purgatory (1 Corinthians 3:11-15) before we enter heaven, or directly to paradise with Jesus (Luke 22:43).

May all the faithfully departed, through the mercy of Christ, rest in peace.

In His Mercy,

Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – Please join us this Tuesday at 7pm for Memento Mori-- A free event to plan and prepare Catholic funerals and estates.

All Saints Day - November 1, 2024

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Today we celebrate All Saints Day. This feast day has been commemorated in the Church since the 4^th century to honor all the unknown saints who were martyred in the first three centuries of the Church. In time they are unknown to us but in eternity they are known to each other.

When St. Augustine read the life of these martyrs he said, “If all these people have achieved sanctity, then why not I?” He followed their model of living a life for God and others and became one of the greatest saints in the Church.

I encourage you to read the life of the saints. Pope Benedict XVI put it: "The example of the Saints encourages us to follow in their same footsteps and to experience the joy of those who trust in God, for the one true cause of sorrow and unhappiness for men and women is to live far from him"

All of us who follow Christ are called to be saints. So, what about you? What are you going to be the patron saint of? The city of Lincoln is still up for grabs or Nebraska or cattle-feeders (but I am shooting for that one).

Heaven is an eternal Halloween party and you already have your costume…. your baptismal garment. The question is, ‘what will be your accessories’? Will it be the lily of purity, the sword of truth, or the crown of martyrdom?

May one day, the feast day of All Saints be ours in eternity!

In His Mercy,

Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – Please join us for our Holy Day Mass today at 6:30AM; 8:15AM or 5:30PM.

Spiritual Blindness - October 27, 2024

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

On the internet there are videos of little children with impaired vision putting on glasses for the first time: sometimes they fuss as the glasses are put on, but their faces go from confusion, to wonder, to joy when they see the face of their mom or dad for the first time.

In the Gospel this weekend, we find poor and blind Bartimaeus, who is stuck. He ekes out an existence begging and knows with his blindness that going anywhere on his own is difficult if not impossible. He hears the commotion and doesn’t know it is Jesus of Nazareth passing by, but when he does, he starts to beg our Lord for mercy. He may be physically blind, but spiritually he sees things more clearly than those who are following the Anointed One.

Jesus restores Bartimaeus’ sight, and he joins the pilgrimage too: The Lord leads him to a more joyous life. Bartimaeus did not selfishly go on his way when his need was met. He began with a need, went on to gratitude, and finished with loyalty – and that is the perfect summary of the stages of discipleship.

Brothers and Sisters, like Jesus coming to the town of Jericho, He comes to us this weekend at Mass. The grace of Jesus allows us to see the face of our heavenly Father with joy for all eternity. Like Bartimaeus, may we have the persistent humility to cry out to Jesus; the courage to throw off our sins; the eagerness of springing up from our misery and come to Jesus at Mass this weekend. So, we too can follow Him on the way to eternal life.

In His Mercy,

Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – See you at trunk-or-treat tonight!

The North American Martyrs - October 18, 2024

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

A few weeks ago, over twenty parishioners and I had the amazing experience of following in the footsteps of the Canadian saints – St. Andre Bessette, St. Maria of the Incarnation, St. Francis Laval, St. Marguerite Bourgeoys, St. Anne de Beaupre and St. Kateri Tekakwitha.

But before we sang O Canada on the bus as we crossed into foreign land, we started in Amsterdam, New York where we toured the North American Martyrs shrine. Although rustic and screaming 1965 architecture, I found this place to be spiritually moving. Not because of the beauty of the Church (like Notre Dame in Montreal) nor the 17^th century stone buildings of historic Quebec City, but rather because of the witness to the love of Christ of Saints. Isaac Jogues, Rene Goupil, and John de Lalande.

On Saturday we celebrate the feast day of the North American Martyrs. The three that died in upstate New York were the first to die for the faith in our country (1642-1646). Although they were very educated and came from French nobility, they were heroic in the faith under the most extreme conditions. They traversed for years in inclement weather, diseases, rough terrain and being hunted by Mohawk war tribes.

To put things in perspective of their courage and magnanimity, it would be like the Nebraska pork producers funding your missionary efforts to Israel but not stopping there. Once the Jewish people taste the goodness of Jesus Christ, His Church and beacon, you are sent to convert Hezbollah in the midst of them fighting with Israel knowing that you will probably die. This is exactly what the North American Martyrs signed up for.

To often we picture the North American Martyrs in long black robes (as the Natives American called them). But Saints Rene Goupil and John de Lalande were actually lay evangelists known as donne who helped the Jesuit priests further the Kingdom of God.

Although you may not be called to the Middle East to make converts for Christ or be martyred, you are still commissioned to proclaim the Kingdom of God and help your parish priest make converts. Jesus told us that we are the leaven of society to make it raise to God (Matthew 13:33). My hope and prayer is you find the courage to proclaim His Kingdom to all you meet just like the North American Martyrs.

In His Mercy,

Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

Challenge of Love - October 11, 2024

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

What is the one thing that keeps you from following the Lord more closely? We all want greatness but too few of us are willing to pay the price.

In the case of this rich young man in the Gospel this weekend, the thing that was holding him back from the truly meaningful life he desired was his attachment to money and wealth. Jesus challenges the would-be-follower of the Messiah by asking him to give his possessions away in order to follow Jesus more closely.

As a good coach, teacher or parent know, to challenge someone to greatness is done with love because they see the potential in the person they are leading. They want to meet us where we are at but love us too much to leave us there. Saints are made by being challenged, sinners walk away sad.

But the challenge of Christ is always accompanied by His gaze of love. “Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him “You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me” (Mark 21). This was an appeal of love, not anger. It was a challenge of generosity to pull the man out of his own comfort into the adventure of following Christ. It was a gaze of grief of seeing a man deliberately choose not to be what he might have been and had it in him to be.

As Jesus gaze of love comes upon you today, what is the one thing that keeps you from Him? I challenge you to take that one thing to the sacrament of confession this week.

In His Mercy,

Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – confession times are:

Mon - 7:00-8:00am
Wed - 4:30-5:30pm
Fri - 7:00-8:00am
Saturday - 3:00-4:00pm
Sunday - 30 minutes before each Mass

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