The Path Forward

As we receive news of priests’ assignments, some will rejoice, and some will grieve this weekend. Let us seek to follow the heart of our Lord as we both share in the joy of the sunnier days of His public ministry or in the sorrow and grief of Calvary. We can unite all that we experience in our life, uplift it to the Lord and offer it up to add to the treasury of grace that He desires to pour out upon our souls. With the announcement of priests’ assignments, we will enter a period of patient waiting until the next steps are clearer. Continue to pray for the Beacons of Light process and especially for our Family of Parishes.

This weekend, we also celebrate World Marriage Sunday. Thank you to the many couples who are beautiful witnesses of marriage that we have at Holy Angels. So many couples witness to the sacrificial and generous love that St. Paul highlights in his Letter to the Ephesians. As we read in the vocations prayer, marital love is a love that witnesses to the love that Christ has for His Church. I also want to encourage any married couples who may be struggling to not be afraid to reach out to me or Fr. Aaron for guidance. While neither of us are certified marriage counselors, we do offer a listening ear and can point you in the direction of some helpful resources. The Lord has great things in store for your marriage, though at times it is certainly a challenging vocation. With the Lord’s grace and our cooperation, these challenges can be overcome. Know of my prayers for all married couples at Holy Angels.

As we trudge through the month February, which despite having the fewest number of days, can at times feel like the longest month, remember to be patient with one another. I know that things at work, at home and in the parish are not perfect and may even seem downright lousy, but we can remember that the Lord works all for our good and for the good of His Church. May we journey through the coming weeks and months avoiding gossip, hurtful words and half- truths. Essentially, pray for one another and remember that fraternal correction should be done in charity.

Thank you to Jeremy Barthauer, his crew (his sons and a couple of Lehman students) and Weigandt Landscaping for the hard work they put into clearing snow during the snowstorm we had recently. They were up early working to ensure that people (including Fr. Aaron and myself) could get to the church safely. Our maintenance staff and volunteers do so much to keep the Holy Angels campus safe and clean. Thank you!

Peace in Christ,

Fr. Jarred Kohn