Learning In Season and Out of Season

08-28-2016Weekly ReflectionFr. Brian Jazdzewski

Sure, parents and families are hastily preparing for the upcoming academic year. Along with them are the students and staff members anxiously awaiting the return of students to the school buildings. Meanwhile, others are cramming in their final days of summer vacation before the Labor Day weekend. All the while, many others are living with the constant reminder that learning has no boundaries.

One of the great life lessons we embrace is to constantly learn something each day. A person with this type of attitude is naturally curious and open to new ideas. New ideas can often sound really exciting, until some of us realize that new ideas might mean change. Change in a personal way, or changes in the way different groupings of people live our normalcy. As believers, we enjoy constant reminders that the only thing which remains constant is change. So, rather than resist change, our call is to embrace change.

Confidence in embracing change comes through our constant self-reminders that God is always in our midst; we are never alone. While we accept His perpetual presence on a daily basis, we continue to allow Him to reduce the fears in our lives. In fact, the more we realize God is with us daily, the more we are excited about change and discovering how God is going to lead us into and through new opportunities.

While many are awaiting the formal school season to begin, we remind ourselves that the work of God has no seasonal limits. He promises to be with us in each new discovery and promises those new discoveries to be part of His will for our lives. So we live on, day by day, season after season, glorifying and praising God for all that He reveals to us, prayerfully awaiting the revelation of the fullness of Himself when He come again or calls us to be with Himself.

Diocesan Annual Appeal

Many of us are well aware that each autumn we participate in the Diocesan Annual Appeal to support the administrative work and programs of the Diocese of La Crosse. The Diocesan Annual Appeal initial mailing will arrive in your homes within the first half of September. Please be aware of the Diocesan Annual Appeal, familiarize yourself with the promotional material and prayerfully consider giving something, or giving more, to the Diocesan Annual Appeal. Stay tuned for more details.

Red, White & Blue Prayer Service and Social

The Catholic Church has held a custom, intermittently practiced, where intentional prayers are offered for people involved in legal matters, law enforcement, fire fighting, EMT's, first responders, health care professionals and other groups of people who run to assist us when we are most in need. Council members of the Church of Saint Lawrence will provide their church, cafeteria and undercroft for a prayer service for people of Buffalo County who fall into one or more of these categories. The primary expectation is intentional prayer. Attendance is for anyone and everyone who wants to unite in prayer for these intentions. Our expectation is to provide a prayer service outside the context of Mass to help our like-minded non-Catholics to feel welcome to join us for this prayer service. No one person or group will be recognized or honored; we just think its time to enact a long-standing Catholic custom with and for these people who sacrifice a lot to aid us.

The Red, White & Blue Prayer Service and Social will begin at 6 o'clock in the evening on Wednesday 14 September 2016 in the Church of Saint Lawrence, under the shadow of the Buffalo County Administrative Building. Share the word and invitation as we gather to pray with and for the people who help us when we need the help the most.

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