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We Turn To You (Jeff Fricker and Roxanna Rish)

Wed, 09 Aug 2023 23:57:48 GMT

We Turn to You has been a collaborative project between Pastoral Musician Jeff Fricker and lead cantor, Roxana Rish. Roxana has been a member of St. Michael's parish for many years and has always loved music. She is a mentor to our younger cantors and often helps keep Jeff organized! We Turn to You is a poem-prayer for this crazy life. In the good times and the hard times, we turn to God.

We Turn to You
By Jeff Fricker & Roxana Rish
© 2020 Jeff Fricker

The blessings of each day you send, Lord,
We offer these as gifts to you.
With loving and with grateful hearts, Lord,
We turn to you, we turn to you.

As we come before you, we praise your name on high!
Take all we have, all we offer, life with you, Lord, we pray now.
Safe in your arms for all time. Make us as yours, ever worthy,
We turn to you.

Your loving grace pours over us, Lord,
Your holy presence in our lives,
In all that we will ever be, Lord,
We turn to you, we turn to you.

August 9, 2023

Wed, 09 Aug 2023 22:42:24 GMT

Mt 15:21-28

Initially, Jesus does not respond to the Canaanite woman’s plea. His disciples urge him to send her away. When Jesus does reply it is to say his mission is only to serve the Jewish people. Undaunted, the woman persists displaying faith that so impresses Jesus that he heals her daughter.

All people are created by God and loved by God. There is nothing anyone can do to stop God from loving us.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or dioces

Joy adapts

Wed, 09 Aug 2023 14:29:39 GMT

“Joy adapts and changes, but it always endures, even as a flicker of light born of our personal certainty that, when everything is said and done, we are infinitely loved.”

Reflection: Where have you experienced joy in your life? Give thanks for those moments. How certain are you that you are infinitely loved by God? Ask the Holy Spirit to embrace the truth of the Father’s unending love.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or dioces

Tips for smoother life transitions

Mon, 07 Aug 2023 22:54:29 GMT

excerpt from “Times of Transition” article by Emily Stimpson Chapman, OSV Newsweekly

[How] in the midst of perpetual transition, can young adults find the spiritual footing they need to move forward, not backward, in their journey to God?

The answer to that question starts with recognizing that change, in and of itself, is not a bad thing. According to Father Dave Pivonka, TOR, a 20-year veteran of Catholic youth and young adult ministry, major life transitions bring with them important opportunities for new beginnings and fresh starts.

Understanding anxiety

As young people embark on new phases in life, identifying old bad habits and cultivating an awareness of escape routes can help them circumvent the more common pitfalls of transitions. So too can identifying the source of any anxiety they might be experiencing about the changes in their life.

For example, one common source is fear of making the “wrong” choice.

As Pivonka explained it, many Catholic 20- and 30-somethings have bought into the idea that there’s always a right choice and a wrong choice — that God has exactly one thing he wants them to do, and if they don’t figure it out and choose exactly that, “God won’t bless their choice.”

“Many of these choices are actually quite neutral,” Pivonka continued. “But rather than make a ‘wrong’ choice, they end up making no choice at all.”

At other times, the anxiety that accompanies transition stems from having left God out of the decision-making process altogether.

“When our lives are in flux, it’s easy to become so focused on the immediate, tangible need that all the ‘spiritual stuff’ gets pushed to the back burner,” said Amy McEntee, executive director of the National Catholic Young Adult Ministry Association.

In other words, when there are new apartments to be rented, new office politics to master, new friends to be made, and someone isn’t even entirely sure where to find the grocery store or post office, the temptation is to focus on those problems and not on finding a faith community or nurturing one’s prayer life.

The same holds true for newlyweds and new parents. In the midst of all the changes that new spouses and new babies bring, old habits of prayer and the sacraments often fall by the wayside.

Unfortunately, prioritizing the immediate over the eternal leaves people without spiritual support when it’s most needed.

“When we put God in the equation, we know we’re not alone,” McEntee said. “And that’s probably the most important thing anyone needs to know when they’re struggling with change.”

In the midst of change

Over the last year, Allison Keegan learned that lesson firsthand. In less than 12 months, the 29-year-old Kansas native began a new job, moved to a new town, got engaged to a coworker, broke off her engagement to the coworker and left her new job in search of yet another one.

“It’s certainly been a lesson in humility,” she admitted. “It’s so tempting to look at this past year and feel like it was a waste, that I have nothing to show for it, that I’m no closer to my professional goals or vocational goals than I was a year ago.”

It’s also tempting, she added, “to lose confidence in my decision-making abilities. I really struggled to discern what feelings were from God and what doubts were just of the devil.”

Two things, ultimately, have kept Keegan from giving in to those temptations.

First, she learned that “cutting yourself off from the people or things you love because you’re having a hard time is a bad idea.”

Instead, she said, her most foolproof method for coping with the stress of her ever-changing situation became “focusing on other people and trying to do something for them. Going out of my way to help others got me out of my own world and helped me feel alive.”

Second, Keegan worked hard to not let her faith fall by the wayside in the midst of the upheaval. By keeping prayer, spiritual reading and the sacraments at the center of her life, as well as seeking out guidance from a spiritual director, Keegan regained her confidence about her decisions as she moved through the year.

“The Lord gave me the grace to adjust to all the changes and decisions I had to make,” Keegan explained. “I know he has a plan for me, and even in the midst of the mess, I’m still living in his plan.”

Sure footing

Keegan succeeded where so many others fail because of an active faith life and a strong spiritual support system. And if other young adults want to follow suit, Father Pivonka said, they need to take steps to secure the same.

“As you prepare for coming changes, you need to have a plan,” he explained. “Just like you map out a plan for where you’re going to live and shop and work, you have to map out a plan for your spiritual life.

“Write it down, share it with somebody and make it visible,” he said. “Hang it on your fridge if you need to. Just don’t shoot from the hip so that seven weeks into a new job or a new relationship you realize you haven’t prayed for two months and bad habits have already started to form.”

Father Pivonka also advises young adults to let go of the idea that there’s only one right choice about where to work and live or whom to date and marry.

“Don’t worry about making right or wrong choices and instead think about making good and bad choices,” he explained. “Go before the Lord, do the best you can to include him in the decision-making process, and then take the next step. Be free from that overwhelming burden of thinking that all your future happiness hinges on guessing God’s will.”

To that end, McEntee advises young adults to acquire prayer and discernment skills, just as they acquire financial management or housekeeping skills. She also stressed the importance of seeking out silence — quiet moments away from the noise of the television, radio and Internet — and taking time to reflect upon one’s choices and desires, as well seeking out a faith community where they feel at home.

“It’s not just about being able to say yes when your mom asks you if you’ve been to Mass,” she said. “It’s about finding people who can journey with you.”

It’s equally important, she added, to remember that finding that community might take a while. “Be diligent and don’t get discouraged.”

Perhaps the most important thing anyone in transition — young or old — can do, however, is simply to remember that change — and all the accompanying fear and anxiety — are part of life.

“We all go through it,” said Catholic therapist Dr. Peter Kleponis. “It’s not permanent, and it’s OK to make mistakes. We’re all on a learning curve. What’s important is that you pray, don’t try to go it alone and ask the Lord to strengthen your confidence.

“The confident person may not have all the answers,” he concluded. “But he’s OK with that. He knows he’ll find them eventually.”

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

New parable: What good is it to profess faith without practicing it?

Mon, 07 Aug 2023 22:45:12 GMT

There was a woman drawn to the mystic. This woman lived a contemplative life of prayer and meditation. She burned incense and votive candles, walked labyrinths, prayed Rosary after Rosary, novena after novena. She wore scapulars and blessed medals. She kept holy water in her home, listened to sacred chant and read the writings of the mystic saints. This woman made every conscious effort to keep her life simple, and she avoided many of the snares of consumerism.

Yet this woman so consumed herself with all of her rites and rituals that she had no time or energy left for charitable works in the world. Sequestered away in her solitude, she failed to realize she spent many hours contemplating justice and peace, yet never actually engaged in efforts to support justice and peace. And because of her inaction, her prayers always felt a bit hollow and unanswered.

There was another woman blessed with a contemplative nature. This woman, too, expressed her soul through rites and rituals, sacramentals and prayers. She, too, read the writings and biographies of the mystic saints. She, too, lived a simple life rich with devotion.

Yet this woman recognized the need to be involved in the world more directly. She understood how to respond to the New Testament’s query, “What good is it . . . if someone says he has faith but does not have works?” (Jas 2:14)

She understood that she could not cloister herself from the world. This woman believed that contemplating justice and peace was not enough; she knew her call to holiness meant she must act for justice and peace. And because this woman’s direct experience of the world deepened her empathy, her prayers were fervent and bore much fruit.

This article comes to you from Grace In Action ( Our Sunday Visitor ) courtesy of your parish or diocese.

Gathered (Jeff Fricker)

Tue, 10 Nov 2020 00:49:15 GMT

This easy to sing melody poured out one day of Jeff as he was reflecting on how we now gather as Church. We gather in our homes, around our TVs or computers, as well as in the church building. We are united with our brothers and sisters when we pray at liturgy - no matter the distance.

Come to the table where all are fed,
Broken and thirsting for this bread.
Body and Blood, holy sacrifice,
Love everlasting by your side.

Gathered as faithful,
open our eyes, our hearts, our lives in service to You.
We worship together as one.

Welcome our brother, our sisters all.
Pray for God's blessing, hear the call.
Praise to the Father and Christ the Son,
Praise Holy Spirit, three in one.

Gathered as faithful,
open our eyes, our hearts, our lives in service to You.
We worship together as one.

Chalice of Hope (Jeff Fricker and Roxanna Rish)

Wed, 04 Nov 2020 00:55:00 GMT

Inspired by a homily given by Msgr. Jay Clarke, "Chalice of Hope" has a driving beat, driving home the message that Jesus is our light, our hope, our salvation.

You are the One, God's only Son,
we give you glory, Lord, give you glory, Lord.
We lift your name, we shout your praise,
we give you glory, Lord, give you glory, Lord.

We will tell the story of your goodness and glory,
As we share your message of hope today.
We will tell the story of your goodness and glory,
We will shine like a light for all to see!

Your kingdom come, your will be done,
We give you glory, Lord, give you glory, Lord.
We call your name, we sing your praise,
We give you glory, Lord, give you glory, Lord.

Lord of life, we thank you, on our knees, Lord, we praise you.
Father God, we pray for those in need.
Lord of life, we thank you, on our knees, Lord, we praise you.
Share the love, be the hope for all to see!

Clap your hands and shout for joy.
Jesus is the Lord on high!
Grant us peace, O King of kings.
You are Lord over everything!
Lamb of God, you reign forever.
You are salvation - our Chalice of Hope.

Set Us Free by Jeff Fricker

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 00:00:14 GMT

"Set Us Free" is by our very own Jeff Fricker, Pastoral Musician and Social Justice Coordinator for St. Michael the Archangel.

Reflection by Jeff Fricker: "Set Us Free" was recently composed, with inspiration from the Holy Spirit, for our parishioners.The concept of "Set Us Free," amid this Coronavirus pandemic and the loss of a friend recently, inspired both the text and accompaniment. The song opens with: "Gathered here as one...": Written when our churches were still closed, it continues to be a song that expresses our solidarity as a parish family, especially with those who continue to be confined to their home, and our longing for the time when we can all be together again at Mass.

Gathered here as one, one body, we all become.
Worship together, a home for all.
Singing “Glory to our King” reigning power over ev’rything.
Brought here together, set us free.

Free from sin and death, your mercy our only quest.
Life with you Lord in your arms we rest.
But oh what a beautiful sight;
Your glory shining oh so bright.
Show us the way Lord, be our light.

Light of the world show us the way,
the way to your heart we must stay.
Life with you Lord, your praises we sing.
Save us oh Lord, set us free.

Pray for those in need, Holy Spirit we all believe.
Working together one family.
Singing Holy, Holy Lord our strength our hope forever more.
Safe by your side “King of Peace!”

Fill us with your grace,
Dear Jesus we seek your face.
Here by your side in this holy place.
But oh what a beautiful sight;
Your glory shining oh so bright.
Show us the way Lord, be our light.