With the summer solstice right around the corner, I figured there would be plenty of time to write a blog post. Time…get it…ha, ha! 😊
 
Summer can be a time of rest for us. There is work to be sure, but there is, too, a laziness about summer. The busyness of the school year is over. Vacation beckons—road trips, camping, plane rides, family time, reunions….
 
The fullness of creation beckons in the summertime. The days are long, and the nights are shorter. The grass and trees are green. Warm nights invite us to gaze at campfires or at the stars. Our summer encounters with creation can serve both to enrich our own relationship with God the Creator and to open us to new ways of bringing that creativity into our lives.
 
God models for us, in the first creation story in Genesis, the rhythms of work and rest. In God’s good creation, human beings are given everything we need before we ever put our hands to work. We were made to enjoy the natural world, walking in peace and friendship with God (see Gen. 3:8).  And God rested on the 7th day…the Sabbath…..and we should remember His example.
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So take some down time this summer and meditate on the vastness of God’s creation. What do the big things speak to you about the nature and character of the One who has created them? What do you notice about yourself as you spend time with this facet of the Creator’s revelation in creation? Or meditate on the intricacy of God’s creation. Who is this God who made and set in motion a world and universe for our bodies and souls to inhabit? What does God have to say to you?
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You might be surprised at how much time you have!

Peace,
Deborah Gretzinger (no R.E.-Gretz)

​I’ve been sick for almost three months now…I’ve been frustrated, overwhelmed, and loved beyond measure by my husband, family, catechists, RE/YM students and families.  This blog is to thank you for your understanding and patience.
 
Next weekend, we will hear of the beginning of Jesus’ mission.  Jesus’ desert experience raises important questions for all of us, including me. What are some of the “desert” experiences I have experienced in my life? What desert experience am I living through right now? When and how do I find moments of contemplation in the midst of a busy life? How have I lived in the midst of my own desert wilderness? Have I been courageous and persistent in fighting with the demons? How have I resisted transforming my own deserts into places of abundant life?
 
My time of illness now is like Jesus’ time to the desert.    Throughout this time, He’s taught me to step back.   To let Him take control.  To let go of my pride and say yes and no more often.  To take more time for Him.  This has been a difficult test for me and my family  to endure, but I don’t know where I’d be without Him.
 
As Christians, we are in a constant fight with the desires born of our sinful natures.  We are unable to resist temptation without God’s grace. We are called to trust the Lord (not ourselves) for strength to resist temptation before it becomes sin. It is not the temptation itself that leads us to sin, but the lack of resistance and trust in the Lord for deliverance.
 
Lord, lead us not into temptation!  Rather, guide us into the pathways of justice, love and peace during these Lenten days.  Give us the grace and fidelity to be faithful to our God and Father in heaven.  Give us the courage to accept who we really are and where we should be.

As I starting thinking about this blog post, I found my thoughts drifting to recent events that took place at religious education classes a few weeks ago. It was a stressful, chaotic night, but amid the stress and chaos, God made His presence known very clearly. One God moment I was able to experience myself; the other two were shared by a parent and catechist, respectively.

The first moment involved a new catechist. He’s been very nervous about teaching as this is out of his wheelhouse. I met with him before class, reviewed the lesson with him, gave him a pep talk and prayed with him, specifically invoking the presence of the Holy Spirit. Afterwards, he came to me unable to speak but very clearly shaken by something that had occurred in the classroom. I gave him a few minutes to compose himself while I handled some other business. When he collected himself, he shared an experience that gave me goosebumps.

When he started class, he almost let his nerves overwhelm him. But he prayed for strength and suddenly, for the first time ever, felt confident enough to push the nerves aside and proceeded to teach an excellent lesson (confirmed by two other adults present in the room). After the students were dismissed and he went back up to the classroom to clean up, his strength left him and he was unable to breathe or stand. He sat with his head in his hands while he collected himself. He was convinced he was filled with the Holy Spirit during that class, and that everything he learned in his 13 years of Catholic school education culminated in that experience because for the first time he knew God was real. This was beyond head knowledge. He felt like everything suddenly made sense. And he was visibly moved by the experience.

For me, it was the first time in my career I was blessed to witness that realization for someone. I never thought in my lifetime I would ever seen the fruit of seeds that I knew I had planted. It was amazing.

The second experience was shared by a parent who is attending the adult faith formation classes offered at the church at the same time we hold religious education classes for the youth. She said because of these classes her husband is now a recovering alcoholic and is much more comfortable with his faith so much so that he is pursuing RCIA.

The third experience was shared by a high school catechist who had forgotten to close class with a prayer and dismissed her students early. As she stopped to pray about it, she heard the students coming back up the stairs. They had gone down the wrong staircase (the creepy one according to one of the girls) and were coming back. This catechist brought them back in the room to pray and shared with them that God had answered her prayer and sent them back to her so they could end class properly.

I drove home that Wednesday night in tears, crying out my gratitude to God for His generous blessings.

In my silent reflection today, God reminded me that even in the stress and chaos, He has things under control. His blessings may come when we least expect them, and maybe when we feel we least deserve them. But in His mercy and because He loves us so much, He continues to show us in ways we understand.

Peace,
Deborah (no RE-Gretz)

“WWJD?” “What would Jesus do?” This question brings to mind the parable in this coming Sunday’s gospel in Matthew 21: 28-32 – the parable of the two sons. In this story, Jesus contrasts the first son, who initially refuses the request of his father to work in the vineyard but then thinks about it and obeys that request, with the second son, who initially says yes to the request but disobeys his father in the end.
 
It would be nice to have instant acceptance of things in our lives that we find difficult. Whether it is a situation like that of this father or making a choice to do what we believe is right in the face of criticism and opposition from others, we would like to be able to move into immediate acceptance. But often the process of discerning and accepting the will of God takes some time and involves a bit of struggle. It is truly a process. But if we are open to the grace of God in our lives…if we bring our concerns and struggles honestly to God in prayer… if we take one step at a time in acting on our Catholic Christian instincts, we can be confident that we will be able to do God’s will.
 
Like the first son in Jesus’ parable, we too will find our way out into the vineyard. God makes sure that He meets us where we are and knows how to move us forward in this process of challenging us to discern, and eventually understand, His will so we can be partners with Him in building the Kingdom on earth. The most important thing is for us to remain open to the workings of God in our lives, to stay in constant communication with the Lord through prayer and then invite God to lead us and transform us so we can become the best version of ourselves…the person God intended us to be. Usually that happens through small steps rather than giant ones.  What small step are you willing to take towards God today?
 
Peace,
Deborah Gretzinger (No RE-Gretz)

So in last month’s newsletter, the main theme focused on staying holy through prayer over the summer. But one of the best ways to be holy through prayer is by going to Mass. Even in the summertime.  And even on vacation. (I can hear the gasps already. ;-))

Being a parent and raising a family is hard work.  Especially when you’re trying to juggle everyone’s schedules.  Suddenly even sitting down for a meal as a family seems impossible, let alone getting to Mass on the weekend.  And trying to find a church in a new town, state or country while on vacation can seem overwhelming. So it seems easier to just skip Mass.
But it’s not impossible.  Sometimes it’s as easy as putting it in the schedule. Even when you’re on vacation.

My family and I recently went to Minnesota for the weekend on a mini-vacation.  And before we left, we planned out all the things we wanted to do.  So on Friday we drove to Eden Prairie, checked into the hotel, ate dinner and went to a rodeo in Waconia.  On Saturday we went to the Mall of America and checked out the aquarium (twice!) as well as the stores and swam in the hotel pool.  And on Sunday, we went to Mass at Pax Christi Catholic Church in Eden Prairie (where we met a wonderful young priest who’d been to Green Bay and preached on growing in our faith) before walking around the Minnesota Zoo and driving home.

With today’s technology, it’s super easy to find Catholic churches near you.  You can Google it.  Or ask Siri.  Or go to www.masstimes.org. There’s even an app for that: Catholic Directory Mass Times.

So the next time you’re tempted to skip Mass on the weekend this summer, whether you’re at home or on vacation, try putting it on the schedule. You might just be surprised that’s there’s time for Mass after all. :-)

By Deborah Gretzinger (No RE-Gretz)

Looking at life in our house, I’m pretty sure that my children (ages 10 and 8) do not see the rules their father and I have created as providing freedom.  Like most kids, I think they see our household rules as preventing them from their true ability to enjoy life and doing the things they think will make them happy (I know I did when I was their age J). Of course I hope and pray (as I’m sure my parents did for me and my sisters) that there will come a day when they will look back at the way they were raised and be grateful.  They will understand that what their father and I put in place actually provided them with a means to stay safe, to make good choices, and to succeed on the journey.

But we aren’t the only parents who have rules for their children. We’re told in the Old Testament (Exodus 20) that God the Father gave Moses the Ten Commandments as a means for His people to be safe, make good choices, and succeed on the journey. 

And the United States of America was fashioned in the same way.  It was shaped by our Christian forefathers displaying wisdom, knowledge, and understanding…all gifts of the Holy Spirit.  Building on Judeo-Christian foundations, they planted the seeds for future generations to live faith-filled lives, freely and without cause for concern.  And they set up laws like the Constitution and Bill of Rights under which they knew our country could prosper.

But when we bend the rules, whether we’re at home, as Catholic Christians or as Americans, in such a way as to suit our own needs or justify our choices, we are really only pushing our chance for real happiness further and further away.  There is no freedom in that. True freedom exists within a structure created on the premise that there IS a greater good and that everyone MUST contribute to it, not detract from it.

So as we celebrate our nation’s independence today, let us remember that we are only truly free when we understand that the laws are meant for our peace and prosperity and only enslave us when we use them to justify our collapse into sinful behavior.  And if we really want change, we ought to turn, individually and as a nation, back to God because, as Scripture says in Matthew 19:26, with God all things are possible.  Maybe that’s the change that will make a difference…the change that will set us free.
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By Deborah Gretzinger (No  RE-Gretz)

Scholars tell us that the first Pentecost took place during the Jewish Feast of Weeks where the first fruits of the harvest were offered to God in thanksgiving. But on this particular day, instead of giving our first fruits to God, He gave his first fruit—the Holy Spirit—to us.
 
And what an amazing gift the Holy Spirit has been! It is His power that has kept the Church on track, despite human sinfulness and brokenness, for two millennia. It is His grace that has strengthened us, revealed Jesus to us, moved us to serve, and convinced us that Jesus will indeed come back to bring heaven down to earth. To put it quite simply, Pentecost is all about the fact that Almighty God has come to live in human hearts, making ordinary people into extraordinary saints.
 
After Jesus rose from the dead, he appeared to the apostles, breath­ed on them, said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22). Just as he did at that first Pentecost over 2000 years ago, Jesus wants to breathe God’s energy into our hearts every day. The spiritual dynamic that was present at that first Pentecost, mov­ing people to love God, to seek out holiness, and to come together as a church, is still at work today.
 
How can we tell if this breath of God is active in our lives? We will feel energized by the Spirit, and we will want to set our sights on being like Jesus. We will feel moved to go to work for God to build the kingdom here on earth, relying on the Spirit’s power and guidance. We will try to be more loving, more kind, and more patient...relying on the Spirit for strength when we think we don't have any more left to give.
 
So right now, stop and take a few deep breaths. Know that what you are breathing in is pure, holy, and exciting. Jesus has great plans for every member of his church. And that includes you!

by Deborah Gretzinger (no RE-Gretz)

Our last RE/YM Intergenerational night for the 2016-17 school year was Wednesday, April 19th.  Our theme for the night was Finding God -- Following the "Signs." 

​​​We shared build your own sub sandwiches, watched a power point video of our year in review (put together by Mrs. Gretzinger aka R.E.-Gretz) and shared some experiences that could be nothing other than what some people call God Winks.  These are REAL encounters with the life beyond. We see/hear/feel/touch/sense and receive glimpses that are almost like a secret code between you and someone special!  It's a different way of communicating, yet  we are being COMMUNICATED TO...By God, and/or sometimes our loved ones who have passed on.  We "know without knowing"  that things will be alright.  We "know without knowing" that we are receiving a message or receiving some sort of guidance.

​That "knowing without knowing" has slowly and gently been happening to me over the past year.  God has been whispering and telling me (in a variety of signs and ways) that "there is another place I want you to go now."  And so, it is official that I will be leaving my position here at St. Agnes Parish as your Youth Minister.  I WILL be accompanying all of you to Camp Tekakwitha (Extreme Faith Camp)  and to Columbus, Ohio for the S.H.I.N.E. mission trips this summer.  I pray for all of you and thank you from the depths of my heart for the experiences in faith that we have shared these past 4 years.  I hope by sharing some of my own stories,  you will become more open to God's continuous dancing in your life!

​And so....this wonderful Month of May -- SO MANY THNGS TO CELEBRATE...the month of Mary, First Eucharist  & May Crowning PLUS all the small moments in~between. -- all invitations to DANCE! 

​Thank you for this dance! 

​​DeWan De"Signs"
​(aka Christine)

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We’ve made it to the third week of Lent 2017 already!  Can you believe it?  The first half is over and maybe it’s time to take stock and evaluate how we are doing.  Have we been keeping our Lenten promises? Has anything changed? 
 
If you’re anything like me, as you look back over the last 2 ½ weeks, there are some Lenten promises you’ve probably kept pretty well.  But maybe…just maybe…there are still a few areas that need improvement.
 
Luckily, we’re not alone. Even the holiest of saints struggled with penance and virtuous living. St. Josemaria Escrivá reminds us: “To defend his purity, St. Francis of Assisi rolled in the snow, St. Benedict threw himself into a thorn bush, St. Bernard plunged into an icy pond…” If they had to take drastic measures to deal with their own weaknesses, we’ve also got to admit that we’re weak too and can easily get tired of doing the things we said we were going to do. But we’ve also got to be courageous, admit our failings and try, try again!
 
Especially since we believe in a God of second chances.  So if you’ve been struck by the wound of messing up your Lenten observance — doing that thing you said you were going to give up — then get to confession, say you’re sorry, and pick up the cross again.  St. Agnes has a parish penance service coming up this Thursday, March 23 at 6:30PM.  But Fr. Patrick hears confessions after the 6:45AM Mass on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and before Mass on Saturday at 3:15PM. Sacramentally, Jesus not only forgives the sin, but he gives the grace to continue right where we left off. Further, in the grace that Jesus gives post confession, we’ve actually got the Holy Spirit’s help to “level up” in virtue when met with the same temptations to fall away.
 
Remember, the Lenten journey is not a sprint; it’s a marathon.  Think about the Stations of the Cross. It’s an awesome meditation during Lent for several reasons:

• It reminds us of the high times, even in the midst of carrying the cross (remember Jesus meeting and being consoled by his mother, Veronica and the women of Jerusalem and Simon helping to carry the cross).
• But it’s also a reminder of the difficult times and that carrying the cross IS HARD! Jesus fell three times under its weight. He shows us that even the flesh of the Son of God experienced exhaustion and the mind of The Lord knew extreme fatigue.
• But in spite of everything…he kept going – for us.

 
It’s the same with us! The Lenten journey is meant to be that way so that our weak flesh (and hopefully willing spirit) can learn to be obedient to God and not just to our sin-inclined appetites. So, if you’ve lost your way on the first half of this Lenten journey, stop for a moment….breathe…..and start week 4 with a renewed resolve…committed to finishing the race and meeting our Lord at Easter.
 
Peace,
Deborah Gretzinger

​ “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thess 5:16-18

I had three vivid dreams over the course of the last seven days…which rarely happens for me.  I remember my dreams once and awhile. So for this to happen gave me reason to pause.

None of the dreams were related, and the themes were very different. All three dreams occurred early in the morning right before I woke up for the day. So as I replayed each dream over in my mind for its meaning, I realized that, while I might not understand what each dream meant, I could pray for the people I knew in the dream and for those affected by the theme.

Which is a roundabout way of getting to the theme of this blog….to pray unceasingly.  It sounds overwhelming but there are lots of little ways to pray throughout the day.

When we hear a siren, perhaps we can say a quick Hail Mary for the medical personnel, police officers and fire fighters heading to the emergency as well as for the people in trouble.

When we pass a cemetery, perhaps we say a prayer for the souls of those who’ve died. “May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.”

When we eat a meal, whether alone or with others, perhaps we pray the Meal Prayer either aloud or in our hearts.

Or maybe when we just need a minute to breathe we pray, “God, I am here. God, you are here.” Or perhaps breathing the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

Our prayers don’t have to be long or verbose. They can be quick. But what’s important is that we’re constantly talking to God as a friend...from the heart.  Because that’s what prayer is…simply talking to God.

And as we approach the Lenten season (there’s only 20 days left until Ash Wednesday), maybe this isn’t a bad place to start. 

by Deborah Gretzinger