Stewardship of Prayer
It seems that in today’s world, the prevalent thought is (to borrow from a song) “It’s my life and I’ll do what I want”; however, as Christians, one of the important truths we need to understand is that the life each of us has been given is not ours to do with as we will. God gave us this life; it is a gift, and it has an ultimate destiny. That destiny is oneness with God, both now in this time and space and in eternity in heaven.

Oneness with God first begins with prayer, the intimate union that occurs when we set aside time to be with our Lord and open ourselves up to him. Prayer can be a one-to-one dialogue, or it can be in union with others, even the whole Church.

I especially believe prayer between spouses and families is an extremely important practice that not only keeps Christ first in the family but also binds a family together in ways that human power alone cannot. The most important prayer of the family and for every individual is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Mass is a coming together of the Christian family that uniquely unites us to God by Word, Sacrament, his priesthood and truth. It is a prayer that we need every week to create deeper conversion of our hearts so that we respect the lives God has given us. And while you need the Mass, the whole body of the congregation needs your presence. We are less without anyone who chooses not to unite himself to God and to others.

As we continue to grow as followers of Christ, may we each respect our lives by engaging in one of the most important activities we can as human beings — prayer.

Amen? Amen!
Fr. Jamie

Pastor's Ramblings
Townhouse Plan: The demolition of the old 5/3 building that was located next to St. Cecilia has been completed. Now 19 townhouses will be built over the course of the next year. This direction taken by the developers is dramatically different than the initial plan of a large apartment complex. I wish to thank all those who went to the Community Council meetings, as well as all those who went to the hearings downtown with the City Planning Office. I believe the churches’ and neighborhood’s voices about the project were heard.   

Congratulations! Emily Hertel and Michael Magyar celebrated the Sacrament of Marriage on Sept. 22. Fr. Kemper presided over their wedding.   

Turkey Dinner: Save the date for the annual Turkey Dinner at St. Margaret-St. John Parish. The Turkey Dinner will be Sunday, Nov. 11, from 4-7 PM. The Turkey Dinner has been served annually for over 60 years. Please come and enjoy the dinner while supporting the parish.   1   Welcome to the New Guys! St. Margaret-St. John Parish hosted a reception to welcome Fr. Jacob Willig and our pastoral intern Louie Jacquemin following the 10 AM Mass on Sunday, Sept. 23. Thank you to everyone who helped put together the reception, especially Amber Losekamp and her family for all the homemade treats they made to celebrate the occasion.  

Welcome, Children of God: Two children were baptized Sept. 23. Please lift up and pray for Addison Mae, son of Gregory and Anne Erpenbeck (photo 5), and Bianca Daniela, daughter of Gumercildo and Mayra Lopez Garcia.   

Rest in Peace: Alice Wood, longtime parishioner of St. Margaret-St. John, had a Mass of Christian Burial on Sept. 19. Margaret House, mother of Tom and Jim House, passed away on Sept. 11. Her Mass of Christian Burial was Sept. 22 at St. Margaret-St. John.