"When you help a needy person, o it in such a way tat even your closest friend will not know about it." ~ Matthew 6:3-4 < br>The New York Times ran an amazing story. St. Jude's Childre n's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, get hundreds of donations - large and small - daily. One day they received a plain envelope with no ret urn address. Inside was a McDonald's Monopoly Sweepstake's ticket for a $1 million "Instant Winner."
St. Jude's called McDonald's. Officials ca me with a representative of the Arthur Anderson accounting firm. After chec king the board with a jeweler's eyepiece, he declared it a winner. McDonal d's and St. Jude officials agreed to respect the donor's apparent desire to remain anonymous. They made no effort to find out who it was. ~ Mark Link , S.J.
Is your participation in worthy Knights causes influenced y w hether or not you receive recognition?
"It is possible to give wi thout loving, but it is impossible to lo...
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"You are like light for the whole world.... Your light must shine before people."~ Matthew 5:14, 16
A teacher asked her stu dents, "What if an incredible explosion destroyed all life on earth except for those of us in this classroom? Where would the Church be? They thought a minute. Then a boy said, "It would be in this room. We would be the Chu rch."
This story makes an important point. The Church is not a place where people gather. It is the people who gather. To have Church we must g ather. It's like the bread that we use for the Eucharist. Hundreds of grain s of wheat must be gathered to make it. In a similar way, only by gatherin g do we make the risen Christ visible in today's world.
Jesus assured us, "Where two or three come together in my name, I am there wit h them." ~ Mark Link, S.J.
What can we as Knights do to unify our p arish and the Catholic Church?
"If you find a perfect church, by all means join it! Then it will no longer be perf...
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"Pray always that you will have the strength to go safely th rough and... stand before the Son of Man." ~ Luke 21:36
A very y oung man in a military hospital had lost a leg and was sinking rapidly. Abr aham Lincoln happened by, saw him, and offered to write a letter to his m other. When the boy finished dictating it, Lincoln added this postscript: "This letter was written by A. Lincoln."
When the boy read the lette r, he gazed at Lincoln and asked, "Are you our President?" The President nodded. Then Lincoln added, "Is there anything else I can do for you?" He said feebly: "I guess you might hold my hand and see me through." ~ Mark Li nk, S.J.
Lincoln was given a rare opportunity to comfort a fellow h uman being and seized it. Recall a time when you squandered an opportunity to display kindness.
"I shall pass through this world but once. A ny good therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any hu man being, let me do it now. Let me not defer it or...
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"Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." ~ Mark 12:30-31
Fifteen year-old Therese Martin entered the Carmelite convent in France. From the day she e ntered, she dreamed of doing "great" things for God. The years passed with out her dream being even remotely realized. Naturally, she was disappointe d.
Then one day she was reading Saint Paul, where he says the 'best ' way to holiness is not doing 'great' things for God, but 'loving' things (1 Corinthians 12:31-13:1-13). After reading this, she wrote in her journ al: "O Jesus.... at last I have found my calling - my calling is to love." ~ Mark Link, S.J.
What are some of the loving things your Knights C ouncil has done for God this month?
We cannot do great things, i> only small things with great love." ~ Mother Teresa of Calcutt a
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"The LORD says, 'Why spend money on what does not satisfy?' " ~ Isaiah 55: 1-2
In her book, A Marriage Made in Heaven, Erma Bombeck describes how she fantasized her 25th wedding anniversary . "I pictured a large white tent with hundreds of guests milling around. Th e orchestra was playing our song, as my husband and I swayed gracefully on the dance floor.
Actually it turned out quite differently. M y kids threw a couple of hamburgers on the grill, gulped them down, and s plit - leaving me and my husband to clean up. After my husband put away the last things, he came over and said affectionately, "Close your eyes. I h ave a surprise for you." When I opened them, he was holding a jar of cauli flower, paced in pickle juice. He said softly, "I hid it from the kids, because I knew you liked cauliflower packed in pickle juice."
Erma c oncluded, "Maybe love is that simple." ~ Mark Link, S.J.
Have you taken the time to show your lady that you love her? <...
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"(Jesus said to this disciples), Proclaim the gospel to eve ry creature."~ Mark 16:15
Composer Giacomo Puccini was stricken by cancer while working on his last opera, Turandot. He said to his students, "If I don't finish it, finish it for me." Shortly afterward, he died. His students carried out his wish. In 1926, Puccini's favorite st udent, Arturo Toscanini, directed the premiere in Milan. When the opera r eached the point where Puccini was forced to put down his pen, Toscanini s topped the music, turned to the audience, and cried out, "Thus far the M aster wrote, but he died." A reverent silence filled the opera house.  ;
Then Toscanini picked up the baton again, smiled through his tea rs, and cried out, "But the disciples finished his work." At conclusion o f the opera, the audience broke into a tumultuous applause. ~ Mark Link, S.J.
How prepared and willing are we Knights to help finish our Mast er's work? Are we proving it with our Council activities?
Time:
6:00am - 7:00am
Location:
Ave Maria Catholic Church, 9056 E Parker Rd, Parker, CO 80138, USA
Description:
Hot breakfast at 5:45 am followed by discussion. Please join
us. For more information contact Brad Riddell at 303-548-
6184 or Bill Was serman at 954-817-5706.
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All day event
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"I do not call you servants any longer... Instead, I call y ou friends." ~ John 15:15
I used to drive a cab for a living. It was a cowboy's life, a life for someone who wanted no boss. What I didn't realize was that it could also be a ministry. One night, I responded to a call. When no one responded to my horn, I rang the doorbell. A small woma n in her 80s came to the door. She took my arm and we walked slowly to the cab. She dept thanking me for my kindness, and asked, "Can you drive thro ugh downtown?"
"It's not the shortest way," I answered quickly. "Oh , I'm in no hurry, " she said, "I'm on my way to a hospice." I looked in the rear view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. "The doctor says I don't h ave very long." I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. "What route would you like me to take?" I asked.
We drove through the neighborho od where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. Sometimes she'd ask me to slow at a corner and she would...
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"So keep up your courage, men..." ~ Acts 27:25
A decline in courage may be the most striking feature an outside observer no tices in the West today. The Western world has lost its civic courage, bot h as a whole and separately, in each country, in each government, in eac h political party, and, of course, in the United Nations. Such a decline in courage is particularly noticeable among the ruling and intellectual el ites, causing an impression of a loss of courage by the entire society.
There remains many courageous individuals, but they have no determini ng influence on public life. Political functionaries exhibit this depressio n, passivity, and perplexity in their actions and in their statements, a nd even more so in their self-serving rationales, as to how morally justif ied it is to base state policies on weakness and cowardice.
M ust one point out that from ancient times a decline in courage has been con sidered the first symptom of the end? ~ Aleksandr Sozhenit...
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"Every time you eat this bread and drink from this cup, you proclaim the LORD's death until he comes." ~ 1 Corinthians 11:26 Saint Mark ends his account of the Last Supper, saying, "Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives (Mark 14:26)." The Disciples fe lt a deep joy as they walked along under the stars. But it was bittersweet , for Jesus had said man sorrow-tinged things. He said, "This is my body, which is given for you... This is my blood, which is poured out for you ( Luke 22:19-20)."
Even though Jesus warned his disciples that he was to die violently (Matthew 16:21), they never quite got the point. ~ Mark L ink, S.J.
As we reflect on these daily readings, are we getting Hi s point? Are we hearing God's call of the Knights, as the right arm of the Church?
"Every time ministers cal their people around the table , they call them to experience not only the LORD's presence but his absence as well; they call them to.... sadness as well as...
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"The harvest is large, but there are few workers." ~ Ma tthew 9:37
Kate Drexel came from a wealthy family in Philadelphia. R iding through the city one day in the 1880s, Kate saw the tragic plight of African-American children living in hideous slum conditions. When she prob ed their plight, she became convinced that prejudice, broken promises, a nd unjust laws were creating a cycle of ignorance and powerlessness for the se children. Kate decided to do something.
She founded the Si sters of the Blessed Sacrament to work among African-American and Native Am erican children. By the time Mother Katharine Drexel died, she had spent n early $20 million of her own personal fortune on this work. The order she f ounded over a hundred years ago continues her work. Her canonization was gr anted by Pope John Paul II. ~ Mark Link, S.J.
If you had $20 millio n to spend as you wished, what is one thing you would use it for immediate ly?
"A mans' true wealth hereafter, is th...
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St. Katharine Drexel, Virgin
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"I love you just as the Father loves me." ~ John 15:9
Someone asked an old chief "Why're you always talking about Jesus?"
The chief didn't say anything. Instead, he collected some dry grass a nd twigs and put them into a circle. Next he caught a caterpillar, feeding on a nearby clump of weeds. He placed it inside the circle. Then, he took a match and set fire to the dry grass and the twigs. As the fire blazed up , the caterpillar began to search for an escape.
At this point the old chief extended his finger to the caterpillar. Instantly, it climbed on to it. He said, "That's what Jesus did for me. I was like the caterpillar , without hope. Then Jesus rescued me. How can I not talk abo ut my Savior's love and mercy?" ~ Mark Link, S.J.
How grateful are you for what Jesus did for us? How do you show it concretely?
"It wasn't the nails that held Jesus on the cross but his love for us." ~  ; Author unknown
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St. Casimir
Time:
6:00pm - 8:00pm
Location:
Ave Maria Catholic Church - Brownstein Hall
Description:
Officers and Directors meeting at 6:00 PM, Rosary beginning at 6:30 PM the meeting to follow around 7:00 PM in Brownstein Hall.
Covid -19 guidelines:
- No food will be served, however drinks will be allowed .
- Hall to be cleaned up and sanitized (by officers) after the meetings.
- Masks are worn at all times unless it is the main speaker.
If you a re uncomfortable with meeting in person despite the precautions, please do not feel obligated to attend. There will not be any streaming of the meeti ng at this time.
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"These three remain: faith, hope and love; and the greates t of these is love."~ 1 Corinthians 13:13
Helen Hayes was not ye t a famous actress, when she met her future husband, Charlie MacArthur. S he wrote: "I was at a party feeling very shy because there were a lot of ce lebrities around. I was sitting in a corner alone and a very handsome young man came up to me and offered me some salted peanuts and said, "I wish th ey were emeralds." And that was the end of my heart. I never got it back."< br> In the final years of her famous life, Helen was sitting alone agai n. This time and older Charlie came up to her, gave her a handful of emera lds, and said, "I wish these were peanuts." ~ Mark Link, S.J.
Hav e you experienced love, as Helen did? Have you expressed it, as Charlie d id?
"He came into my life as the warm wind of spring awakened the flowers, as the April showers awaken the earth. My love for him was uncha nging.... strong as death." ~ A. Chennault
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"The greatest love a person can have for his friends is to g ive his life for them." ~ John 15:13
Reverend Benny Newton was w atching the news when rioting erupted in Los Angeles following the acquitta l of the policemen involved in the Rodney King beating.
He rushed to the rioting scene, arriving just after an angry mob had pulled Fidel Lope z from his truck, stripped him, spray-painted him, and began beating him . Throwing himself across Lopez's body, he yelled, "If you kill him, you 'll have to kill me too." WHen the mob backed-off, Newton drove Lopez to a hospital, where the trucker received 58 stitches in his forehead. "He put his life in mine," Lopez said, "He saved me." ~ Mark Link, S.J.
Imagine you are Fidel Lopez. What are your thoughts before and after Newton intervened?
"You may forget the brother with whom you laughed, but you will never forget the brother with whom you cried." ~ adapted f rom an Arab Proverb
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"Sing hymn and psalms to the LORD with praise in your hearts ." ~ Ephesians 5:19
Irving Berlin, was the most popular America n songwriter of the century. He died in 1989 at the age of 101. The Berlin family came to New York as part of the tide of Jewish immigrants from Czari st Russia in 1893. A keen observer of the western culture, young Irving be gan his music career as a singing waiter, parodying hit songs. He went on to write 1,500 tunes and 19 Broadway shows. His "God Bless America" became the nation's second national anthem. His "White Christmas" became history' s top-selling song.
A fellow songwriter, Harold Aren, said of Berl in's songs, "They sound as if they were born that way - God Almighty - not written!" ~ Mark Link, S.J.
What is your favorite patriotic song?< br> "God respects me when I work, but he loves me when I sing." ~ i>Rabinranath Tagore
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Sts. Perpetua & Felicity, Martyrs
Time:
6:00am - 7:00am
Location:
Ave Maria Catholic Church, 9056 E Parker Rd, Parker, CO 80138, USA
Description:
Hot breakfast at 5:45 am followed by discussion. Please join
us. For more information contact Brad Riddell at 303-548-
6184 or Bill Was serman at 954-817-5706.
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All day event
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"Everyone who makes himself great will be humbled, and ever yone who humbles himself will be made great." ~ Luke 14:11
The c artoon character Charlie Brown is based on a real person. He worked with ju venile delinquents, often housing them temporarily in his own home. After the real Charlie Brown died in 1983, a friend said of him, "He saw his ow n life as the doing of daily works of charity in imitation of Christ and th e saints."
Charles Schulz - the Charlie Brown creator - was a friend of the real Charlie. He sometimes offered him a share of the cartoon profi ts, but Charlie always refused. He had no big interest in money. Nor did C harlie go about telling people that he was the real Charlie Brown. ~ Mark L ink, S.J.
Can you ever recall bragging about yourself or seeking re cognition from others? To what extent do you still do it? Why?
"U ntil we lose ourselves, there is no hope of finding ourselves." ~ Henr y Miller
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St. Frances of Rome, Religious
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"(Jesus told a parable about a father. He said to his son), "Go and work in the vineyard today. ' 'I don't want to ' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went." ~ Matthew 21:28-29
The fil m, Tom Brown's School Days, concerns a popular boy who lived with about a dozen other boys in the dormitory of a British boarding school. One night, a new boy innocently knelt beside his bed to say his prayers. Seve ral older boys poked fun at him.
That night, Tom lay awake thinking about how his mother taught him to pray nightly - something he no longer d id. The next night, several boys were planning to poke more fun at the new boy. When bedtime came, however, something unexpected happened to change their plans. When the new boy knelt down to say his prayers, so did Tom. ~ Mark Link, S.J.
What is one thing in your life that you should ch ange? What is one thing in our Council that we should change?
"Wh en you're through changing, you're through." ~ ...
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"Fishermen throw their nets out in the lake and catch all ki nds of fish. When the net is full, they pull it to shore and sit down to d ivide the fish. The good ones go into the buckets, the worthless ones are thrown away. It will be like this at the end of the age." ~ Matthew 13: 47-49
Albert Schweitzer was a concert pianist who gave up his career in music to become a doctor and missionary to Africa. He once said, "It's not enough to say, "I'm a good father. I'm a good husband." ....You must do something .... for those who have need of help, something for which you get no pay but the privilege of doing it. For remember, you don't live in a world all your own. Your brothers and sisters are here too." ~ Mark Link , S.J.
Do you count your fraternal brothers in your circle of frien ds?
"Yours are the only hands with which God can do his work... Y ours are the only eyes through which God's compassion can shine upon a trou bled world." ~ Saint Teresa of Avila
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"Love the LORD your God.... This is the greatest and the mos t important commandment. The second most important commandment is like it: "Love your neighbor as you love yourself."~ Matthew 22:37-39
An old poem by an unknown poet asks this question: "What is Love?" The poet re sponds by listing six answers. They go something like this:
Love is - silence - when words would hurt, patience - when another's hurt, deafness - when another's mad, gentleness - when another's sad, promptness - whe n need is seen, courage - when life is mean. < br>Of the poet's answers of love, which do I score highest on? Lowest? Wha t is one concrete thing I might do to make my love more like Jesus' love? What does love look like? It has feet to go to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has ears to hear sighs and sorrow." ~ Saint Augustine
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"O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hands." ~ Isaiah 64-7
Like a tree, we must be pruned of a lot of dead branches before we will be read y to bear good fruit. We can think of changed people as trees which have be en stripped of their old branches, pruned, cut and bare. But through the dark, seemingly dead branches flow silently and secretly. With the new sap comes new life. With the sun of spring, there are new leaves, buds, blo ssoms, and fruit, many times better because of the pruning. We are in the hands of the Master Gardener, who makes no mistakes in His pruning. ~ Fr. Pat Umberger
Pray that we may cut away the dead branches of our liv es. Pray that we may not mind the pruning, since it helps us to bea r good fruit later.
Choose one area of your prayer life which might benefit from attention, such as repentance, faith, zeal, relationship, boldness, humility, contentedness, concern for God's honor. H...
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"If anyone should cause one of these little ones to lose fai th in me, (woe to that person)>" ~ Mark 9:42
A skinny boy w ith a shoeshine kit stood at the edge of a sidewalk cafe. A woman felt a su rge of admiration for him for trying to be a man and earn a living. Just th en a man charged out of the cafe, grabbed the boy, and threw him like a b ag of garbage out into the street.
The women's heart went out for the boy. Why did the man treat the boy so brutally? He hadn't picked a nybody's pocket. He hadn't stolen anyone's purse. He hadn't tried to sell d rugs.
As the boy limped off, ashamed and humiliated; the di ners went back to eating. The woman wondered: "How will this cruel experien ce affect his attitude toward work and people? ~ Mark Link, S.J.
Ho w would you have reacted if you had witnessed this incident? Now, in retro spect, how should a Catholic gentleman react?
"Give us clear vision that we may know where to stand ...
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"The greatest love you can have for his friends is to give y our life for them." ~ John 15:13
PFC Milton Lee Olive III sacrif iced his own life to save four fellow soldiers during the Vietnam War. An e nemy grenade landed in the midst of five soldiers. Without thinking twice, Olive smothered it with his own body. In awarding him the Medal of Honor p osthumously, President Lyndon Johnson said:
"In that incredible bri ef moment... in which he decided to die, he put others first and himself l ast. I have always believed that to be the hardest but the highest decision that any man is called upon to make." ~ Mark Link, S.J.
What is on e of the hardest decisions you were ever called upon to make? What helped y ou make it?
"If you limit your choices only to what seems possibl e or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and al l that is left is compromise." ~ Robert Fritz
Time:
6:00am - 7:00am
Location:
Ave Maria Catholic Church, 9056 E Parker Rd, Parker, CO 80138, USA
Description:
Hot breakfast at 5:45 am followed by discussion. Please join
us. For more information contact Brad Riddell at 303-548-
6184 or Bill Was serman at 954-817-5706.
Time:
All day event
Description:
"Love is patient and kind.... Love never gives up." ~ 1 Corinthians 13:4,7
Alan Loy McGinnis tells this story about the aut hor Dr. Norman Lobsenz. Young Norman's wife was in the midst of a serious i llness, and the ordeal was taking its toll on Norman. One night he was on the verge of collapse when, suddenly, he recalled an incident from his ch ildhood. One night when his mother had taken ill, Norman got up around mid night to get a drink of water. As he passed his parents' bedroom, he saw h is father sitting in a chair on his mother's side of the bed. She seemed fa st asleep. Norman rushed into the room and cried, "Daddy, is Mom worse?" "No, Norman," his father said softly, "I'm just sitting here watching ov er her, in case she wakes and need something."
That long-forgotten incident from his childhood gave Norman all the strength he needed to carry on. ~ Mark Link, S.J.
What episode from your childhood is a source of strength for you?
"The pains of love b...
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Location:
Our Lady of the Visitation, 34201 Co Rd 33, Kiowa, CO 80117, U SA
Description:
St. Joseph's Assembly #2618 Monthly Meeting
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"The LORD is... in this place, and I didn't know it." ~ Genesis 28:16
During World War II, Eddie Rickenbacker and a crew o f seven crashed into the Pacific. All supplies were lost, except for four small oranges. After eight days, it rained and they were able to collect a supply of water to drink. On another occasion, a seagull landed on Ricken backer's head. He caught it for food, which they all shared. After 21 days , rescue came. One of the things that kept them going was a prayer session each day. A prayer they prayed often was Psalm 139.
"Where could I go to escape from you? Where could I get away from your presence? ....If I flew away beyond the east or lived in the farthest place in the w est, you would be there to lead me, you would be there to he lp me" (Psalm 139:7, 9-10) ~ Mark Link, S.J.
Can you rec all a time when your Brother Knights were gathered in prayer and you sensed the Father's presence in a special way?
"C...
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"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall troubl e or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?" ~ Romans 8:35
Christ, be with me, Christ before me, Christ behi nd me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ o n my right, Christ on my left, Christ where I lie, Christ where I sit , Christ where I arise, Christ in the heart of every one who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of every one who speaks of me, Christ in e very eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me, Salvation is of the LORD, Salvation is of the LORD, Salvation is of the Chri st, May your salvation, O LORD, be ever with us. ~ St. Patrick, A Prayer
Patrick was a humble, pious, gentle man, whose total devo tion and trust in God should be a shining example to every Knight. He feare d nothing, not even death. How can we emulate St. Patrick's complete trust in God?
"The love of God and his fear grew in me more and...
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St. Patrick, Bishop
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"Why should God reward you if you love only the people who l ove you? Even the pagans do that ... Be perfect just as your Father in heav en is." ~ Matthew 5:48
Gandhi was the guiding star and architect of India's independence. For over 20 years he opposed British rule with pr ograms of nonviolent disobedience. Toward the end of his life, he got many death threats. This caused a friend to quip:
"The saints in heaven have been awaiting Gandhi's arrival for sometime now, bu he's makin g them wait. He's working on his dream of bringing a bit of heaven's perfec tion to earth before he leaves for heaven."
On January 30, 1948, G andhi was hot by an extremist, who didn't share his dream of getting India 's factions to live together in mutual love and harmony. ~ Mark Link, S.J.
What bit of heaven's perfection can we as Knights dream of leaving before we depart for heaven?
"It is not a calamity to die with dr eams unfulfilled, but it is a calamity not...
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All day event
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St. Cyril of Jerusaleam, Bishop & Doctor of the Church
Time:
6:30pm - 8:30pm
Location:
Ave Maria Catholic Church, 9056 E Parker Rd, Parker, CO - Dwyer Hall
Description:
Officers and Directors meeting at 6:00 PM, Rosary beginning at 6:30 PM, dinner and the meeting to follow around 7:30 PM in Dwyer Hall.
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St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary
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"I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family i n heaven and on earth is named." ~ Ephesians 3:14, 15
One of my favorite saints is St. Joseph, because he was a man's man - a man accusto med to labor, sweat and the burden of supporting a family. Scripture says , "Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain (Psa lm 127:1)." It's always struck me that God the Father put His only Son into the care of a carpenter, a builder. And Joseph, in his faith and obedien ce, allowed God to use his own human talents to build the Living Tabernacl e. Joseph protected and taught, formed and provided for, the Redeemer of the world.
Joseph was a living witness of the meaning of manliness; the nobility of human labor; and the dignity of married love. Surely, Je sus must have admired and loved him with all his heart. So if we hope to re store the identity of fathers in our families and in our culture, if we ho pe to rebuild the integrity of family life in our commu...
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"Let your hope keep you joyful." ~ Romans 12:12
I n 1985, Japan Airlines Flight 123 crashed into a mountain killing 517, th e worst single plane crash in air history. Minutes before the jumbo jet hit a mountain, passengers were told it was going to crash. Rescuers found in the wreckage a pocket calendar belonging to an executive of a Japanese shi pping company. In his final seconds of life on earth, he had dashed severa l notes across seven pages of the calendar sharing his thoughts with his fa mily.
I'm very sad. I'm sure I won't make it. To think that our dinner last night was the last time. Be good t o each other and work hard. Kids, help your mother. ~ Mark Link, S.J.
If you were in the same situation, what would you scribble to your family that might surprise them? Would you consider ex pressing those sentiments now?
"A home is built of loveing deeds that stand a thousand years." ~ Victor Hugo
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"The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace." ~ Numbers 6:24
All of my studen ts were dear to me, but Mark was one in a million. He had that happy-to-be -alive attitude that made even his occasional mischievousness delightful. H e talked incessantly. I had to constantly remind him that speaking out of t urn was not acceptable. What impressed me so much, though, was his sincer e response every time I had to correct him for misbehaving - "Thank you for correcting me, Sister!" One day, I asked each of my students to list the ir classmates on two sheets of paper. Then I told them to think of the nice st thing they could say about each person and write it down. I summarized e veryone's comments and then gave each student his or her list. Before long , the entire class was smiling. Hears later, Mark was killed in Vietnam. W hen I attended the funeral, I had never seen a servi...
Time:
6:00am - 7:00am
Location:
Ave Maria Catholic Church, 9056 E Parker Rd, Parker, CO 80138, USA
Description:
Hot breakfast at 5:45 am followed by discussion. Please join
us. For more information contact Brad Riddell at 303-548-
6184 or Bill Was serman at 954-817-5706.
Time:
All day event
Description:
"I am the bread of life" Jesus told them. "Those who come to me will never be hungry." ~ John 6:35
In his book, Swimming in the Sun, Albert Haase tells how one afternoon, he was walki ng through the grounds of the infamous Dachau concentration camp. Coming to the spot where Barracks 26 once stood, he paused and prayed. That barrack s was the prison dormitory where many Catholics were imprisoned by the Nazi s in World War II. Each day they were given one meal, consisting of a chun k of bread and a cup of watered-down soup.
Each day one of th e prisoners sacrificed their meager bread ration to make possible the celeb ration of the Mass. This 'daily bread' ration was then secretly consecrated by a priest and passed around as communion for prisoners. ~ Mark Link, S. J.
How willing are we as Knights to sacrifice what we have so that o thers may receive their physical or spiritual "daily bread"?
"The effect of our sharing in the body and blood of C...
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St. Turibius of Mogrovejo, Bishop
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"Does a person gain anything if he wins the whole world but loses his life? ~ Mark 8:36
A basketball team had just celebrate d a prayer service before playing in the state tournament. During the servi ce, the chaplain said to the team, "The important thing ten years from no w won't be whether or not you won the state championship. Rather, it will be what you became in the process of trying to win it."
After the pr ayer service, the coach said to the players: "Sit down a minute. Our chapl ain said something that is bothering me. I wonder what we've become trying to put together a winning season. Have we become more loyal to one another? More brotherly? Better Catholics? I hope to God that we have. Because if w e haven't, we've failed God, we've failed one another, we've failed ours elves." ~ Mark Link, S.J.
This past year, have we become more loya l to one another? More brotherly? True Catholic gentlemen?
"You c an't turn back the clock. But you can wind it...
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"Then the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, fr you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.'" ~ Luke 1:30-31
The Solemnity of the Annunciation marks the moment when God Himself began redee ming the unborn child - and all of us who once were unborn children - by be coming one Himself. Never can the unborn be considered too small to possess rights, for God Himself was that small.
The Annunciation te aches us the fruitfulness of self-giving. When Mary said "Yes" to "Life", she knew the road ahead would be difficult, yet she embraced the vocation of motherhood. This is precisely the opposite behavior that avoids responsi bility, and culminates in abortion. What happened at the Annunciation over comes the fear and despair that lead to violence. Marry's life gives courag e to all mothers who are afraid of the suffering that might lay ahead and a ssures them that they are not alone.
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The Annunciation of the Lord
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"Those who trust in the LORD for help will find their streng th renewed. They will rise on wings like eagles." ~ Isaiah 40:31
Nelda Bonner was dying of cancer. In her final months, sleep became diffi cult. So she would write in a journal. Her five children found it after her death. It contained over 40 handwritten pages of memories. Here are some e xcerpts:
"In a strange way, I have been happier this last year than I have ever been. I have a peace and calmness that I have never had before . I have discovered what my real relationship with God is... Your daddy and I are closer than we have ever been. He has been my rock. I have learned t o appreciate more than ever small things: a few hours of felling good... th e lovely faces of my grandchildren. I glory in the beauty around me - I tru ly look at the world through the eyes of love." ~ Mark Link, S.J.
N eed we wait until we are on our deathbed before we appreciate the truly imp ortant things in our lives?
"Adversi...
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"Whoever wants to be first must place himself last of all an d he the servant of all." ~ Mark 9:35
Twice a year geese migrate in a V formation, as a flock. Philip Yancey explains: "That's the secret of their strength... cooperating as a flock, geese can increase their flig ht distance by 71 percent... The lead goose cuts a swath through the air re sistance, which creates a helping uplift for the two birds behind him. In turn, their beating makes it easier on the birds behind them... Each bird takes his turn as the leader. The tired birds fan out to the edges of the V for a breather, and the rested ones surge forward to the point of the V t o drive the flock onward." ~ Campus Life
Are you r eady to assume the point in the V formation of our Council? Is our Council ready to assume the lead in the V formation of our parish? The Catholic Chu rch?
O God, help us to be masters of ourselves that we may be se rvants of others." ~ Sir Alec Paterson
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"As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me; night is coming when no one can work." ~ John 9:4
President Harry S. Truman once said: "The greatest epitaph is the count ry is right here in Arizona. It's in tombstone, Arizona, and the epitaph says, "Here lies Jack Williams. He done his damndest." I think that is the greatest epitaph a man could have. Whenever a man does the best he can, t hen that is all he can do; and that is what your President has been trying to do for the last three years for this country." ~ Mark Link, S.J. What motivates Knights to do the best they can for God and country? Let us be up and doing, With a heart for any fate;< /i> Still achieving, still pursuing, Learn to labor and t o wait. ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
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6:00am - 7:00am
Location:
Ave Maria Catholic Church, 9056 E Parker Rd, Parker, CO 80138, USA
Description:
Hot breakfast at 5:45 am followed by discussion. Please join
us. For more information contact Brad Riddell at 303-548-
6184 or Bill Was serman at 954-817-5706.
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"Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Jesus Christ '" ~ 2 Timothy 2:3
Soldiers are identified by their uniforms. Sp ies and undercover agents disguise themselves, hoping to slip in without b eing noticed. The LORD doesn't need undercover Christians. He needs those w ho wear His uniform and proudly identify themselves with Him. Do you act as a "secret believer" - one who unveils your Christianity only when it is no n-threatening? In hostile situations, do you cover up your true identity? This kind of clandestine discipleship makes it easy to deny the LORD in dif ficult times. When the apostle Peter tried to secretly follow the LORD at a distance, on three occasions he denied that he knew Jesus. To come out of your foxhole, you must first decide to be identified with Jesus Christ as your LORD and Savior. No more secrecy, no more undercover discipleship. S traightforwardly proclaiming your allegiance to the LORD is practical evide nce of your faith. ~ Carman, adapted from R...
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"All of us... are one body, for we all share the same loaf. " ~ 1 Corinthians 10:17
Astronauts Aldrin and Armstrong had just landed on the moon. While Armstrong prepared for his moonwalk, Aldrin unp acked bread and wine. Aldrin wrote: "I poured the wine into the chalice... In the one-sixth gravity of the moon the wine curled slowly and gracefully up the side of the cup. It was interesting to think that the very first liq uid ever poured on the moon and the very first food eaten there were commun ion elements. I sensed especially strong mu unity with our church back home , and the Church everywhere." ~ Guideposts - Treasury of Hope What is one thing the Knights might do to build a stronger sense of unity in our parish? In our local community?
"In Jesus Christ, true G od and true man.... rests our hope for real humanity. Not by ourselves, bu t insofar as we are members of the Body of Christ." ~ Karl Barth
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"Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God req uires; God will satisfy them fully!" ~ Matthew 5:6
The great Am erican concert violinist, Fritz Kreisler, said: "I was born with music in my system. It was a gift from God. I didn't acquire it. So I do not even d eserve thanks for the music. Music is too sacred to be sold, and the outra geous prices charged by musical celebrities today are truly a crime against society. I never look upon the money as my own. It is public money. It is only a fund entrusted to me for proper disbursement... In all these years o f my so-called success in music, mu wife and I have not built a hou se for ourselves. Between it ans us sand all the homeless in the world." ~ Mark Link, S.J.
How fully do you agree with Kreisler? Do you share God's gifts to you with your brethren?
"Serve one another with wh atever gift each of you has received." ~ 1 Peter 4:10
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"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who ar e perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." ~& nbsp;1 Corinthians 1:18
I once saw a man in Los Angeles wearing a s ign that said, "I'm a fool for Christ. Whose fool are you?" I thought at t he time, "That's the most stupid thing I've ever seen." But one night many years later it would be revealed to me that God - who is more than just an image on a piece of wood - loved me. And though I had shunned Him all my l ife, I realized my desperate need of Him.
It was then I understood the truth of that odd sign I had seen years before: the cross is foolishnes s to those who are perishing. That night I knelt at the foot of the cross a nd believed in Jesus. I have been a fool for Christ ever since. ~ John Wimb er, adapted
Has such a revelation ever come to you? How does our Co uncil promote a spirituality that brings us closer to Christ?
"So then do not be foolish, but understand what t...
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6:00pm - 8:00pm
Location:
Ave Maria Catholic Church - Brownstein Hall
Description:
Officers and Directors meeting at 6:00 PM, Rosary beginning at 6:30 PM the meeting to follow around 7:00 PM in Brownstein Hall.
Covid -19 guidelines:
- No food will be served, however drinks will be allowed .
- Hall to be cleaned up and sanitized (by officers) after the meetings.
- Masks are worn at all times unless it is the main speaker.
If you a re uncomfortable with meeting in person despite the precautions, please do not feel obligated to attend. There will not be any streaming of the meeti ng at this time.
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St. Francis of Paola, Hermit
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"I urge you, then, to make me completely happy by.... bein g one in soul and mind." ~ Philippians 2:2
On the seventh and la st night of the bike trip for AIDS, Mark Bosco wrote in his journal: "The words of novelist Alice Walker came to me as I finished the last few miles - 'I think it annoys God if you walk by the color of purple in a field some where and don't notice it." This whole trip became for me an exercise in no ticing things - the beauty of creation as I pedaled past mountains, farms , and beaches... the diversity of God's people forming a community of frien dship and support in the face of a terrible disease... My faith in God and his people has been renewed... The ride gave me the gift of noticing my LOR D alive in so many places, in so many faces." ~ Mark Link, S.J.
Ha ve you ever seen the LORD alive in your Brother Knights' faces?
" Place yourself at one another's service." ~ Galatians 5:13
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"I went past the field of the sluggard, past the vineyard o f the man who lacks judgment; thorns had come up everywhere, the ground w as covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins. I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest - and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man." ~ Proverbs 24:30-34
Saint Paul challenges all of us as men to finish the race a nd to be on our guard. He knows that even if we've built a positive legacy to this point, there are wolves waiting at the door, ready to tear it fro m our grip and steal it away. He knows that we can lose our testimony as a role model in a single unguarded moment.
Don't let anyone rob a life time of influence on your wife and your children. Don't let moral poverty s neak up on you like a slinking wolf and rip away your witness for Jesus Chr ist. Guard your heart! Guard it in the limitless...
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"Christ Jesus... gave himself to redeem all mankind." ~ 1 Timothy 2:5-6
This month, back in 1865, the slain body of Presid ent Lincoln lay in state in Cleveland, Ohio. It was on its way from Washin gton, DC to Springfield, Illinois, where it would be buried. In the long line of people filing past the body was a poor black woman and her little son. When they reached the president's body, the woman lifted up her son a nd said in a hushed voice, "Honey, take a long, long look. That man died for you."
What that mother said about Lincoln, every mother could say to her child about Jesus. Both Jesus and Lincoln tell us that waging wa r against evil involves great personal suffering - even the loss of one's o wn life. ~ Mark Link, S.J.
Against what modern evil should the Knig hts be willing to wage war and suffer much - even losing our lives, if nec essary?
"It's important that people know what you stand for. It's equally important that they know what you won't st...
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St. Isidore, Bishop & Doctor of the Church
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6:00am - 7:00am
Location:
Ave Maria Catholic Church, 9056 E Parker Rd, Parker, CO 80138, USA
Description:
Hot breakfast at 5:45 am followed by discussion. Please join
us. For more information contact Brad Riddell at 303-548-
6184 or Bill Was serman at 954-817-5706.
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All day event
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"For thou, O LORD, art good and forgiving, abounding in s teadfast love to all who call on thee." ~ Psalm 86:5
THE PASS ION OF THE CHRIST a movie directed by Mel Gibson, has depicted t he last 12 hours of Jesus Christ's life, in no way that the film industry has ever dramatized before. It underscores the emotion, pain and passion o f the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Anyone who has seen the movie came out o f the theatre understanding better just how incredible his love for us is. Everything about the Son of God comes down to this: he forgives us because he loves us. As we all know love is the cornerstone o the virtue of Charity . If you have seen the movie, especially with others in a movie theatre, the sense of unity and fraternity that it offers is profound.
The ne xt time you receive the Body and Blood of Christ, remember that it is his actual Body and Blood, and that despite how dramatic the movie might have been, it still pales in comparison to receiving and e...