Knights of Columbus

Phillip Dreis Assembly 1204

Sheboygan, Wisconsin

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FOURTH DEGREE NEWS

FROM YOUR FAITHFUL NAVIGATOR

Brother Knights & Ladies:

 

“I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die” and “For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up on the last day”.  These two passages are taken from the Gospel readings of St. John.  As we enter the month of November let us remember our departed brothers and all those who are dear to us as we celebrate the Feast of All Saints Day and the Feast of All Souls Day.

 

At our October 15th meeting, the officers of the Fourth Degree were installed by our Immediate Past Faithful Master of the Eastern District Edward Vander Bloomen. Thank you Ed and good luck to you on your new position. 

 

Congratulations to Sir Knight Mike Bubb and his wife Jo, who recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.  Also congratulations go out to Sir Knight Don Pitzen

his wife Peg, and Sir Knight Jim Schnell and his wife Marge who both celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.

 

At our October meeting we voted on having a “Keep Christ In Christmas” billboard put up.   A location has not been determined at this time.  Also lawn signs with the ““Keep Christ In Christmas” will be available in late November.  If you would like one please call me at (920) 918-5066.

 

This month we celebrate Thanksgiving.  Please take time out to thank God for the many blessings that we are blessed with!!

 

Please remember to vote on November 4th!!

 

Our next meeting will be November 19th @ the K. C. Hall in Sheboygan. Cocktails will be at 6:00 and dinner at 7:00 P.M.  Have a Blessed Thanksgiving.

 

God Bless you!!

 

YOUR FAITHFUL NAVIGATOR

  

RICHARD M TAUFERNER

CHAPLAINS MESSAGE

Dear KC Friends,

“Yet eros and agape—ascending love and descending love—can never be completely separated. It is less and less concerned with itself, increasingly seeks the happiness of the other, is concerned more and more with the beloved, bestows itself and wants to be there for the other. One cannot always give, one must also receive. Anyone who wishes to give love must also receive love as a gift.”

I begin this message with the above words of Benedict from his letter God is Love. This is a good meditation for us during this preparation time for Christmas as well as during the days of Christmas. There is much love that comes from Jesus to us in the sacraments, in our daily prayer life and in our presence with each other. Jesus very much wants to be our companion. Francis DeSales suggests in his very good book, An Introduction to a Devout Life- that we need to invite Jesus into our lives, not once a day but very often during the day. He suggests “that we structure this invitation.” There are times in our day to remind us of this, it could be before we eat, it could be when we get into our car, and it could be when we are going on an errand. “But it is,” St Francis says, and says quite often, “vital that we pause for a few seconds in our day, and frequently, to make a deliberate and intentional invitation to Jesus to be with us.

A good barometer of how well we are doing in this effort to invite Jesus into our lives is the warmth we feel. I have shared with you before the warmth of Mary as she ponders the child Jesus, as she looks at him at the wedding at Cana, and especially as she meets him on the way to Calvary. There is always something very real in her relationship to Jesus. The great artists have caught her in facial expressions that are not overly pious but rather give evidence of a relationship that is very warm and sincere. It comes through as though their meeting is transforming, supportive, affirming, and filled with mutual love.

This is the essence of what Benedict is speaking about in the first paragraph- eros and agape coming together- never separate. She is giving to Jesus and he is giving to her and it is in this exchange that she is increasingly seeking the happiness of Jesus and in turn Jesus is seeking her happiness. Think about this- do we seek the happiness of Jesus as we ask him to help us be happy. As Benedict says, in true love these can never be separated there must always be giving as well as receiving.

Perhaps during Advent and Christmas we can set up specific times each day for these encounters with Jesus and for his encounters with us, moments when we invite him to be with us and moments when we make space for him to be with us.  

May you have a blessed Advent,

Fr. Mike