​As we go forward, safely, catch up with our Diocese, our letter from our Bishops, and our protocols.  I will do the best that I can for the balance with faith and Covid-19 and will be walking with you step by step.  And, brothers and sisters, welcome home for Mass according to God’s will in your life!

​Hope and Comfort from God: Wednesday, June 17th, 2020

12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Some upswing great news…

• First baptism from the beginning of Covid
• And, we have a new Bishop on the way: Bishop Elect Michael Malloy.
  
• My experience

    - Bankruptcy, death of Bishop Paul Sirba, Covid, chaos, and we learned of our new Shepherd on the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ on Friday And, it has been grateful for the Holy Spirit, especially in the readings for several weeks in a row as God’s Word has been crucial

• I mean, let us quickly listen to each of our readings today, in the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time, and please soak these into your discipleship, your discernment, and your connection with God:
•   Jeremiah: “Sing to the LORD, praise the LORD, for he has rescued the life of the poor from the power of the wicked!”

         -   While this prophesy of God through Jeremiah was written 2800ish years ago, how does this speak to us, and you, today?
         -   How do we affect and support the LORD’s rescue of the poor who are oppressed by the “power of the wicked?”

• Responsorial Song: “For the LORD hears the poor, and his own who are in bonds he spurns not. Let the heavens and the earth praise him, the seas and whatever moves in them!”

       -   Once again, OT in the Wisdom book of the Psalms
      -   How do we hear the poor?  How about in our own community?  Around our state?  Country? Around the world?  1/3 of people in the world do not eat or drink well, or even with clean food or clean drink.  1/3!
       -   Or, what about those in “bonds,” those in our country, especially those that were written in a letter from our Bishops: “open wide our hearts the enduring call to love a pastoral letter against racism”: American Indians, Black and Hispanic brothers and sisters

• Romans: “But the gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died,how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ overflow for the many.”

       -    And praise God, that against all of our own sins, that Jesus Christ DID give the opportunity for salvation
       -    How do we walk together with and towards Jesus Christ?

• Matthew: “Jesus said to the Twelve: ‘Fear no one.  Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known.’

       -   ​No matter what chaos, darkness, sinfulness, judgement, even death itself: FEAR NO ONE!
I hope these readings, even deeper in their fullness today, connect with each of our individual responsibilities, and when we seek that truth, then go to Confession, then we may show your mission which is different with each person.

May we always follow Jesus Christ, especially when we must lock in with Him, and not our worldly sinfulness

​Division and Violence in the Scriptures: Monday, June 15th, 2020

As summer kicks into full gear and I reflect on my past year of seminary, my heart is overflowing with gratitude. Following the Lord’s call has brought about peace and satisfaction unlike any other I have experienced. Despite a new set of challenges remote learning presented, God continues to bless me (and others) in new ways, making manifest His power even in uncertain circumstances.
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One of the aspects of seminary life I miss the most is the constant fraternity in which each of us is surrounded. The importance of this is expressed in Proverbs 27:17: “As iron sharpens iron, so man sharpens his fellow man.” When we have friends and family around that encourage us to live a life rooted in Christ, not only do they help motivate us, but in turn, we help motivate them! I found myself back home abruptly without scheduled Holy Hour, Mass, and time of fraternity. Meaning, I had to live deliberately and find the proper balance between online classes and prayer without the guidance of a formator and the rest of the seminary community. This proved to be challenging but continues to be a source of growth as I walk towards God’s call for my life, whatever it may be.

Regardless of the challenges, God’s blessings shine through. The abrupt return home allowed me to spend extra time with my family, whom I would typically only have time to connect with once a week. I cannot help but feel blessed to spend the entirety of the summer with both my human family and my parish family here at St. Thomas Aquinas. Not to mention, Fr. Ben has graciously taken me under his wing and taught me about the life of a parish priest, which serves as invaluable experience as I discern my vocation. I ask for your prayers and know of mine for our beautiful parish of St. Thomas Aquinas!

In Christ, Ben Freeman

Forgive our Enemies: Tuesday, June 16th, 2020

I must share a gorgeous day, trying to keeping us all upbeat with all that is going on around our country.
On Thursday, May 28th we, celebrated with our three sixth-graders who graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas School: Laney Becker (parents, Jed and Tonya), Nick Kostiuk (parents, Marnie and Michael) and Taleia Boyer (parents, Kim and Chad).  These students were able to receive a "new" type of graduation, but the first graduation in many years.  Thank you, Principal Jerry Hilfer!), and many of our teachers and employees to make it happen.

As our students did not know that we were going to have a "parade" to their homes, we were blessed to have a procession, led by Police Officer Michael Kostiuk (which I got to ride in the front!), Mayor Droba Harley (who drove his Delorean!) and each of our teachers.

For each student, we approached their homes, honking, celebrating, and having a quick six-foot social distance party.  Each student was announced with the graduation pomp and circumstance played by John Faith, and Principal Jerry, as our keynote spoke to each student.

Each student received our gifts and encouraged them as they move forward in a new chapter as they are now seventh grade, and what a heart-warming afternoon.

Finally, as long as I am writing about St. Thomas Aquinas School, I must always give a congratulation for Patti Refsland as she received a new job, "right up her alley" in Crosslake, and John Faith has retired.  Thus, we are already advertising open positions as a new 5th-6th grade teacher and a musician.
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Please keep praying for our school, always remembering that Jesus Christ said, "…let the children come to me," and this will continue to occur, even with a challenging year.
Go, St. Thomas Aquinas SAINTS and, God Bless!

​Morality in the Sermon on the Mount: Thursday, June 18th, 2020

​Come, Holy Spirit.  Come, Holy Spirit.  Come, Holy Spirit.
To many of you in our family, welcome home!  

• And I am seeking the Holy Spirit that this may bring us together, not only for the Covid-19, not only for the chaos in our state and around our country now, but individually opening our hearts from the Holy Spirit.

After Jesus rose from the dead, took time on earth, he told his disciples: “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
As we come to the apex of Jesus birth, presentation in the Temple, the temptation of the evil one, teaching, healing, forgiving, the passion, crucifixion, death, resurrection, ascension He sent the Holy Spirit.  BOOM!
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• “And suddenly there came from the sky

a noise like a strong driving wind,
and it filled the entire house in which they were.
Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,
which parted and came to rest on each one of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Each of you who has been baptized, who have been confirmed, you have given the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit.

• And as you know the tough stuff we’re going through now, even more the extreme mission to open our hearts to receive His gifts:

1. Wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord

• And His fruit:

1. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control

• Each of us have different gifts, different fruits, different charisms
• But we must use them together!

1. “May the glory of the LORD endure forever;

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may the LORD be glad in his works!
Pleasing to him be my theme;
I will be glad in the LORD.”
Come, Holy Spirit!

​Holy Trinity
We continue to move forward in Ordinary Time, though it is interesting that, in some ways, we “slowly” begin this season on this weekend and next.

• The Holy Trinity this weekend
• The Body and Blood of Jesus Christ
• Pretty cool as we continue to enjoy Ordinary Time

The Holy Trinity

•  A paradox
• Three persons, one nature

Some quick, but sacred scriptures
This weekend I would like to share some of the challenging times in which the Trinity has been with me, and many of you

• First, I cannot tell you how important it is to pray during this chaos in our Country: Covid-19, and the latest with the death of George Flloyd, violence, looting and destroying property
• Pray…and how should we begin and end our prayers?  The Trinity: the sign of the Cross
•  At this time in my priesthood, I must pray with the Holy Hour every day.

1. This is the only way that I could receive the mission to God and His people
2.  And God has given what I believe is THE kernel of the Bible, John 3:16
3.  “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,

so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.”

So seek the Father, Son and Holy Spirit

• And how has these three persons with one nature soak His love in our minds, bodies, and souls beyond our personal prayers?
• Let’s think of many quick ways we may do so:

1. Mass which is now public, or via Internet

     - “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.”

1. Anointing of the Sick
2. Burials and waiting for a funeral
3. A marriage that is coming forward, though still waiting on protocols
4. Confession

In every level of our Catholicism and Christianity we must follow God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit
So may we conclude this homily with a traditional prayer to our Trinity

•  “Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen”

​Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church: Monday, June 1st, 2020

​8th Anniversary with my Brothers! Monday, June 22nd, 2020

​Division in our Country: Racism: Thursday, June 4th, 2020

​Not good to test Jesus! Paying to Caesar or not?: Tuesday, June 2nd, 2020

Corpus Christi
This past week I spoke to my family during one of our Daily Masses that continues to ring in my heart

• The Sermon on the Mount of the Beatitudes with happiness, another way of our mission in different ways

    -   And what do we need in our community, our family, our country? “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
    -   Peacemakers…so crucial
And we hear about peacefulness in our readings today:

• Responsorial Song: “He has granted peace in your borders…” as the Israelites left Egypt and was fed with Manna
• Or, in the amazing Sequence that we do not hear them often but during excited Masses: “And his rule for guidance taking,  Bread and wine we hallow, making  Thus our sacrifice of peace.”

I bet most of us would be agree how important it is for peace, or peacemakers

• But the reality is, peace in our secular world is way different than our discipleship from Jesus Christ

    -   For instance, Jesus Christ said, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword.”
     §  Now this could be a whole different homily (sword is not a physical sword)
   §  But will the “world”—think, think, think, the world, not the globe, but humanity full of sinfulness, violence, wars, distruction
    §  Has Jesus called true peace with God Father, Son, Holy Spirit like last weekend?
Or, what did Jesus speak in John 6 as we celebrate the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ this weekend?

• "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood,

you do not have life within you.  Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.  For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.”

• That’s where peace is!  The Body and Blood of Jesus Christ!
• Not about peace, but IS peace with the Trinity
• And while peace is very important in our lives on earth, peace is greater than a physical community, but the true peace from Jesus Christ who is the way, the truth and the life

Finally, we are not either/or, but both/and

• We must have both peace in this world as we are of the world, and peace in our spiritual walk

​St. Charles Lawanga: Wednesday, June 3rd, 2020