I hope you have noticed that among our VIPs that we recognize each month, some have not been parishioners all that long, and have become active in ministries and activities in our parish, for which we give thanks to God and hope others of you who haven't been here all that long will get more involved sooner than later. This month's VIPs, Don and Sue Glinka, have been parishioners here for 25 years and have been active in many ways over their many years here. Don has been an active memeber of our Men's Club, having served 2 years each as secretary, program director and president. He was involved in their fundraising activities as a waiter and in their community service in trash pick-up on Hwy 7. He has been active as will in the Knights of Columbus since before he came here (starting in 1967) and attained 4th degree knighthood along the way. He accepted the ministry of extraordinary minister of Holy Communion both at Mass and in Holy Communion to our shut-ins and visiting with them to brighten up their day. He has been a Helping Hands volunteer, a prayer worrior since it inception and a Eucharistic Adorer as well. Sue has been a longtime and active member of LOSH in many of their projects and fundraising activities. She was guild captain for Guild 6 and has brought and helped serve many dishes of food at funeral receptions. She has been a part of the effort to feed some needy families through our basket program. She organized our parish welcoming committee, and helped set up our parish library at its inception. With Don she has been an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion goth at Mass and for our shut-ins, served (and is still serving with Don as a prayer warrior) participated in Eucharistic Adoration, as a Helping Hand's volunteer and enjoyed participating in Sociable Six. While health issues have definitely slowed them down, they are still mainstays at 10:  Mass on Sundays and get involved when their health allows them to do so. For their many years of service to the Lord and our wonderful parish, I say "Thank You" and hope you will thank them as well. Oen final thing I want to say about the Glinka's is that I have always sensed and appreciated their love for the Lord and HIs Church, as well as their priests and fellow members of the Body of Christ. I am sure their respect for as a priest and as their pastor has been given by them to other priests over the years andhas produced blessings for them and priests like me! May God's blessings continue to be pured out upon the Glinka's for who they are, and what they have done and still do in the pilgrimage to heaven!

In a thirty minute video on the topic of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, one of the questions posed is: "How many people asked for forgiveness from the Lord in the Gospels?". Many are surprised when the correct answer, zero, is given. As we know, the Lord's mercy is extended often in the Gospels and it comes time after time with a presence and posture that is open to God's mercy. It comes to people who have come to recognize that their life has been damaged (and has damaged others) because of their poor disposition and choices. It comes to people who don't even know that they need God's mercy, for example, those who were responsible or complicit in Jesus's crucifixion (see Luke 23:34). Does all this mean that we don't need to ask for the Lord's mercy for our unhealthy thoughts, words, and/or behavior? Jesus himself lauded to his disciples the tax collector who came to the temple to pray and beat his breast saying "O God be merciful to me a sinner". (Luke 18:13) Jesus recognized the man's humble disposition (head bowed) and, yes, his words of admission that he was a sinner, and was indirectly asking his disciples AND US to follow such behavior that comes from a heart that is contrite and a mind that know he or she needs the Lord in order to be forgiven and be led to and strive to follow the right path. The A, B, C's of the Divine Mercy Devotion that was given by the Lord in a private revelation to St Faustina begins with asking for God's mercy. While we humbly verbalize this in the Sacrament of Reconciliation (and hear Jesus, through the instrument of the ordained priest say "I absolve you of your sins," our time in private prayer whether it's a few minutes or an our or more is, firstly, a humble admission that I need God in my life (which includes his mercy), and definitely says (perhaps without thought) that I cannot make it or make it very well on my own. In the Easter season we reflect on the ongoing presence and power of God working in our minds and hearts. Through the Holy Spirit who was given to us in our baptism and strengthened in us in our Confirmation, he is ready to enkindle within us the fire of God's love (and mercy). We are doubly blessed to have Jesus with us "until the end of time," (Matthew 28:20) as he comes to us in his body and blood, AND we have God's healing, comforting, giving Spirit to be grounded and stay grounded in mercy and love and witness the blessings that come to us and others from it day after day!

Since the start of our VIP (Very Important Parishioner) monthly recognition of parishioners who go beyond the pews and even the parish to give of thier God-given time and talents to the Lord and others, we have been blessed to offer thanks to God and acknowledge them in a variety of ways (including their pictures on a billboard in the hallway from the Narthex and a wall in the lower hall). Today I wanted to give a BIG SHOUT-OUT to many VIPS who worked together, some behind the scenes, and others in the liturgies and activities that surrounded the Easter Triduum which gave praise to teh Lord and touched the minds and hearts of those who participated in our parish. The behind the scenes people were our decorating group (headed by Sandy Darnell), our banner group (headed by Fred and Linney Rohrer), our wonderful altar linen person, Betty Mierzwoiak (with helper Ed Pawelski), our wonderful sacristan, Mark Lukasavige (and his assistants), the Men's Clug (headed by David Banaszynski) who did the set-up, clean-up, and serving of the delicious parish dinner on Holy Thursday (prepared by Chef Johnna), the ladies (headed up by Susan Harrell) who did the set-up, serving and clean-up of the Good Friday lunch (prepared, again, by Chef Johnna) and Dave Witchger who provided the amterials and set-up of he Easter Fire. The music ministry prople (headed up by Kathleen Kinney) worked hard behind the scenes and at ALL the liturgies of the Triduum (including both Masses on Easter Sunday) and helped us in lifting up our minds and our singing voices to the Lord in thanks for the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of the lord. I was blessed to have two deacons, BJ Bowen and Gary Christoff (both of our parish) covering all the liturgies starting with those for Palm Sunday.they certainly add greatly to the solemnity and importance of what we do up on the altar. Then there were the lectors whose efforts of practice were obvious in the wonderful way they proclaimed the important scripture passages of Palm Sunday and throughout the Triduum. Our  ushers came for practices and early for the liturgies and maeuvered beautifully the "unique" responsibilities they had for these special liturgies. The altar servers were also a blessing in what they practiced and did for our Holy Week liturgies. I dare not leave out our Extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion at the liturgies and those who took Communion to our shut ins. Finally, there were our scheduled adorers who came to church to pray in helping to keep the Triduum as one long vigil from Thursday night until Saturday night (especially Lori Vincent who covered at least 3 hours in teh wee hours of Good Friday morning). If I could add up all these people and list all of their names, I would need much longer than the normal Pastor's "column". I am humbly and sincerely grateful for them and for their patience with me in the practices and liturgies. GOD BLESS YOU ALL!!