From the Desk of Fr. Mike
Advent Longings
Posted by Anne Serwe on 12/05/16
Throughout the past weekend (Thanksgiving holiday) I was amused by the many cars driving up and down Lake Drive with a Christmas tree tied onto the roof of the car. It reminded me of days long ago when the deer hunters would wrap their trophy buck either on the ... Read More »
Have a Blessed Holiday
Posted by Anne Serwe on 11/30/16
I hope you are having a Blessed holiday with your family and friends this weekend. I am so very thankful for the past year and 5 months in which I have had the privilege to be your pastor. You are a great bunch of people to be with!
This ... Read More »
Mystery of the Divine
Posted by Anne Serwe on 11/22/16
I used to take great comfort in the predictability of my mother and father. I pretty much know how they would react to any given situation. But there were times when they said or did the unpredictable and this always disturbed me even as an adult. It was an ... Read More »
Days to Ponder
Posted by Anne Serwe on 11/15/16
It's getting harder to wake up in the morning as the sun doesn't rise until after 7:00 am. The natural conditions make it easier to become reflective on death and dying in my morning prayers. I think this same experience drives the Church into these early November festivals of ... Read More »
Who Will Serve the People?
Posted by Anne Serwe on 11/01/16
I remember the days of the political machine which could produce great good for our society. There were problems with it, yes, it was an "old boy's club" that encouraged us to vote for the incumbent Representative or Senator because the longer they stayed in office the more Federal ... Read More »
What Makes a 'Good Person'
Posted by Anne Serwe on 10/25/16
I am always put off by the person who describes himself or herself as a 'good person'. This description reeks of self-justification and a general lack of reality. God didn't send his Son into the world to rescue good people. He sent his Son into a world filled with ... Read More »
The Personal Encounter
Posted by Anne Serwe on 10/17/16
From Last Sunday's Gospel: "Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?"
This is a classic case of misdirection which catches most who read it. It seems that Jesus is concerned about the gratitude ... Read More »
Looking to the future
Posted by Anne Serwe on 10/11/16
On the very first day that I celebrated Mass in the "new' church I had several parishioners complain to me that they just couldn't hear all that I had said during my homily. I think they were frustrated because they didn't know why everyone else was laughing as I ... Read More »
The Gift of Marriage
Posted by Anne Serwe on 10/03/16
This weekend I will be in McGregor, Minnesota witnessing and blessing the marriage of an old friend's son. it will take place at Holy Family Church in McGregor. From that experience I will be traveling up towards Alexandria to have a little Fall vacation. I return on Friday to ... Read More »
Catholics for Choice
Posted by Anne Serwe on 9/19/16
I hate duplicity in any form, and in the full page ad in the Star Tribune this misleading advertisement can cause one to speculate that one can pick and choose from the Church's social teachings. I applaud the Minnesota Catholic Conference for challenging this duplicity with a very clearly ... Read More »