Pastor's Corner

Pastor’s Corner…
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord into Heaven!  At the Ascension, Jesus commissioned the Church – “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature… Then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the work through accompanying signs.” Jesus’ parting words remind us that he has left the ministry of evangelization in the hands of his Church – yet he continued to work with them – fulfilling his promise to be with us always!  Indeed, through the gift of his Spirit, each member of his Body will be the instruments he uses to draw others to himself.

Through the gift of our Baptism, the missionary and evangelization ministry of Christ has been entrusted to each of us… Bishops in their ministry of preserving the Gospel and authentically interpreting it in the name of Christ and his Church, priests and deacons in their preaching of the Gospel, parents teaching the faith and handing it on their children, catechists who teach the faith, missionaries who take the Good News of Christ to ears that have not heard it, men and women who make an application of the Gospel in their business practice and in the work place, etc.  As the Gospel of Christ guides the way we live, the choices we make, the witness we exemplify as to what it means to be a Christian, each of us is an evangelist. We all have a part to play in bringing the Good News of Christ to the world around us. Let’s remember the vision for our parish – “Everything we do at Nativity is a touchpoint of evangelization!”

What an awesome celebration for Fr. Al last Sunday! I’m so glad we were able to celebrate the milestone jubilee of his 60 years of priesthood at Nativity. From the beautiful Spirit-filled Mass - to the fabulous reception. Nativity Parish shined in hosting Fr. Al’s anniversary celebration.  Thanks to all who prepared and served at the inspiring liturgy: our choir, bell choir, musicians, greeters, ushers, sacristans, servers, masters of ceremonies, and members of Fr. Al’s family who were readers and gift bearers. Thanks to the Women of Nativity who stepped forward to be part of the team that hosted the luncheon reception. Your organization, decorations, hospitality, serving and directing traffic with a smile, created the joy-filled atmosphere for the celebration. Thanks to the Knights of Columbus, who grilled and served the burgers, brats, hotdogs – and the libations of beer and wine to toast Fr. Al. I appreciate the generous YES of the Knights to being a part of the team in hosting this event. Kudos to all who provided the plentiful array of Cherry Pies. Fr. Al loved that special touch. Cherry Pie is his favorite!  I’m grateful for all who came to celebrate. The Nativity Star shined brightly through our people pointing to Christ, the reason why we do all we do in this parish.

Fr. Al and his family loved the celebration. His beautiful thank you note is included in today’s bulletin. The collage of pictures taken by parishioner-photographer, John Caulfield, captures some of the joy that was shared last Sunday.

With Nativity style and generosity, the food was plentiful and delicious and there was more left to share.  We are happy that the food was shared with the Uplift Organization, who delivers care and compassion to the homeless. We are grateful that Fr. Al’s party provided 200 additional meals to the guests served by Uplift. A touchpoint of evangelization for sure!

Enjoy the Memorial Holiday, which signals the beginning of summer! I hope you have the opportunity to grill out, or have a picnic, be with family, go to the lake, work out in the yard, or just rest, relax and enjoy the holiday!  There will be one Mass for Memorial Day, celebrated at 9 a.m.  Memorial Day began as a day to honor those who died in service to our country. Let’s not forget all those who have given their lives in the name of preserving our freedom. It’s also a day to remember our deceased loved-ones in prayer.

Next Sunday is Pentecost. Pray “Come, Holy Spirit” throughout the week!

Peace and Joy to you and your family,
Fr. Mike

 

Congratulations to Fr. Al Rockers, as he celebrates 60 years as a priest. We welcome all of Fr. Al’s family, friends and the Nativity family as we celebrate this milestone jubilee! Fr. Al’s priestly journey of 60 years has included 15 different assignments. But interesting to note, almost 1/3 or 18 years of that journey was lived at Nativity from 1996-2004 as Pastor and 2011-2021 as Senior Associate. In 60 years, a lot of lives have been touched by the ministry of Fr. Al.  Think of all the Masses he has celebrated, all the Holy Communions given at his hands, the countless times he spoke the Lord’s forgiveness to people, all the people he brought into the life of the Lord and the Church through Baptism, how many couples he married, how many people he anointed, how many received the last rites from him, how many people he has buried, all the homilies he preached, all the counsel he has given, all the people with whom he has laughed, cried, and shared life… and the gazillion times he has prayed from the depths of his soul, ALLELUIA! – Praise to the Lord!  Today, it is our privilege to say, ALLELUIA! – Praise the Lord for Fr. Al and his 60 years of priesthood!

This week’s Leaven will carry the assignments of our newly ordained priests, as well as other priests who will be moving to new assignments in July.  While we will miss Fr. Gerard, we are happy for him and the St. Pius X Parish Community where he will be pastor. Fr. Gerard is excited about his new assignment! As we shared with you last Sunday, we are blessed to have Fr. Sudeep Kodigandla (who will be ordained on Saturday May 28^th), coming to Nativity as the associate pastor. We are excited to welcome Fr. Sudeep in July. I hope you had the chance to read the nice article (the entire back page) about Fr. Sudeep in last week’s Leaven. Please keep all of our priests who will be transitioning to new assignments in your prayers.

I had the opportunity to sing “School’s Out for Summer” to our kids. (I show my age, but it’s fun!) As the school year ends, we give praise and thanks to God for another year of personal, spiritual and academic growth that has taken place in our children. We pray for a safe and enjoyable summer for all our kids.

The end of school gives me cause to say again, I’m so proud of our Nativity school and our students. I’m proud of our parish and the beautiful mission of Catholic Education that continues to remain such a strong and vital part of our parish community! Thanks to Mr. Luke Jennison, all of our teachers and staff for their dedicated ministry to our school. Thanks Nativity parishioners for your support which makes our school possible.

I wish to express my thanks to Suzy Meinzenbach and all the dedicated teachers in our School of Religion. Our parishioners who volunteer, giving so generously of their time and talent to serve as catechists for our children in Religious Education are a blessing!

“The heavens are telling the glory of God.”  Parishioner and Photographer, Glenn Hemberger shared this awesome photo he captured throughout the night of the recent lunar eclipse.  In Glenn’s words: “The photo is a compilation of the lunar eclipse from the early stages, when the earth gets between the sun and moon, to the full eclipse and back when the earth’s shade leaves the moon. The moon is called the red or blood moon due to its red color. The red color is caused by the earth’s atmosphere when shading the moon from the sun. In other words, this compilation is the beginning, full, and ending of the lunar eclipse. I made the full eclipse the largest and most prominent to represent the climax of the lunar event.” 

Peace, Love, Alleluia!
Fr. Mike
 

When I was talking to the 2^nd graders in preparation for their First Holy Communion, I shared with them St. Augustine’s teaching about the receiving the Eucharist. Augustine taught that when we receive Holy Communion, we are called to become what we eat. One of the second graders said, “Does that mean I will start to look like Jesus?”  I said, “Yes!”  It’s the call of a lifetime – for sure! We who belong to Christ, bear his name as Christians and receive him in Holy Communion should strive look like him more and more each day. St. Paul would say, we are transformed into his likeness and we reflect his glory.

The best resemblance of the Lord that any of us can have is found in today’s Gospel.  “Love one another as I have loved you.”  It was his parting command to us from the table of the last supper on the night before he died. He wants us to love as he loves. This is what will set us apart as his people. “This is how all will know that you are my disciples… by your love for one another.”  -  It’s what makes us the most credible witnesses of the Lord!

I like that song we sing, “They’ll Know We Are Christians By Our Love.”  I’ve mentioned to you on many occasion the beautiful motto of our School, which I believe to be true for our parish as well: “Nativity, Where Christ Is Alive!”  It’s nice to catch glimpses of Jesus on our campus and alive in our people. Last Sunday, people came to church with bags of groceries for our Catholic Charities Food Drive… Generosity and feeding the hungry looks like Jesus!  This weekend is Foster Care Ministry Hygiene Drive for Foster Children. Supporting foster kids looks like Jesus – He loved children! Food kitchen Ministry is this weekend. Those who go to food kitchen hear the Gospel call to see Jesus in those they serve – and strive to bring Christ to the guests who come to the food kitchen as well. Just a few of the countless examples of how love for others looks like Christ and proclaims the reason why we do what we do. Thanks for all the ways you exemplify the Lord to whom you belong.

Next Sunday we celebrate Fr. Al’s 60 years of priesthood. We will mark this milestone at the 11am Mass and have a picnic reception afterwards, complete with cherry pie (his favorite). We are grateful that 20 years of Fr. Al’s priesthood was spent at Nativity.  I hope you will join us in congratulating Fr. Al and thanking God for the gift of his ministry as priest!

I had the opportunity to visit with the 5^th grade Cub Scouts as they finished their work to achieve the Parvuli Dei (Children of God) award. The boys completed the requirements of this award, where they recognized the ways their call as Children of God is being lived and how they are commissioned to share that gift with others. We are grateful to their den leaders for their work with the boys for the past 3 years. We are very proud of our Nativity Scouts!

Easter Love and Peace,
Fr. Mike
 

The 4^th Sunday of Easter is known as “Good Shepherd Sunday.”  On this Sunday, we always hear a Gospel passage where Jesus identifies himself as the Good Shepherd.  Good Shepherd Sunday is also a day set aside by the Church as World Day of Prayer for Vocations.  Jesus says: “My sheep hear my voice. I know them and they follow me.”  On this Sunday, we pray especially for our young people, that they will be able to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd in their lives and discern how he is calling them to live out their Church Vocation, in priesthood or religious life, in marriage and family life, or as a single person.  Let’s pray for our kids that they will be able to discern not only what they want to do in life, but even more importantly, what God is asking them to do with their lives!

To all the mothers, we wish a very Happy Mother’s Day! Thanks for all the ways you have said “yes” to your special God-given vocation as mother to your children and family. It’s a holy calling. Thanks for exemplifying through the gift of a mother’s love- a reflection as to what God’s love is like! We remember all mothers, grandmothers, and any women who have played a motherly role for us (living and deceased) in the intention of the Masses this weekend, with prayers and thanksgiving for the gift of our mother. God bless you today and always!  

To honor the Blessed Mother, we are having May Crowning at the 9am and 11am Sunday Masses this weekend. Our first communicants, dressed in their First Communion attire, bring flowers and crown the image of the Blessed Mother as we sing the traditional hymn to honor her: On this day, O beautiful Mother, on this day, we give thee our love. Near thee, Madonna, fondly we hover, trusting thy gentle care to prove.   On this day, we ask to share, dearest Mother, thy sweet care; Aid us ere our feet astray, wander from thy guiding way.

Congratulations to our 35 eighth graders who graduate from Nativity Parish School this Thursday!  Our heartfelt congratulations, prayers, and best wishes go out to all our Nativity Family Members who are graduating.  We are so proud of you!  As you move on to high school, college, graduate school, or careers, we know you will make a difference wherever your next step takes you. Not only because you are smart, talented, full of personality and high achievers – but the real difference you will make comes from the gift of your Catholic Faith, the Wisdom of the Gospel, and the Light of Jesus Christ that shines through you – which will affect the decisions you make, the Christian character and integrity you live and exemplify, the love, care, and kindness you show to others.  As we celebrate your accomplishments at graduation, we send you forth to “Go make a difference!”

Congratulations to our 66 young people who received their First Holy Communion last Sunday. Our Gospel reminded us of the conversation between the Risen Lord and Peter. “Peter, do you love me?”  “Yes Lord, you know that I love you.” “Feed my sheep.”  I told the parents, grandparents, family and teachers that First Communion was an example of how their love for Jesus is shown in their love, care, formation and handing on the faith to the sheep entrusted to them. Thanks to all who helped make First Communion such a beautiful celebration. We have included pictures from First Communion in this bulletin.

In this season of First Communions, Mother’s Day, Graduations, Weddings, Ordinations, and Anniversaries, etc. - God is at work! Let’s attune our eyes and hearts to God’s goodness and gifts that surround us!

Easter Blessings,
Fr. Mike
 

Pastor’s Corner…
We express our congratulations to our 66 children as they receive their First Holy Communion at 11am Mass today! It is our joy to celebrate this milestone in their faith journey and another step toward their full initiation into the life of the Catholic Church.  Through the gift of the Eucharist, we pray that these children grow in their relationship with the Lord throughout their lives. May they always know their need for Jesus and always count it a privilege to receive Him in Holy Communion. Their journey as Eucharistic People begins today. “Take and Eat” always carries with it the command to “live and share” the Lord they receive in Holy Communion. As they do, they will be instruments through which Christ continues to transform the world.  We are so proud of them!  In today’s Gospel, Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me?” Peter says, “Yes Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus says, “Feed my sheep.” Thanks parents, family, teachers and our parish community for helping to form these children in the life of the Lord and the Church and lead them to the Eucharistic Table. It’s a wonderful example of the call to “feed the sheep”!
 
“Tis the month of our Mother” as the Church dedicates this month of May to Mary, Mother of the Savior and Mother of the Church.  How about coming early to pray the rosary before 5pm Saturday or 9am Sunday Mass this month, or praying a family rosary throughout the month, maybe even a decade of the rosary as part of your meal prayer? Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!
Nativity Parish School has a nice tradition at every school Mass of each class passing a rosary from one student to another to take home to their family for a week of prayer.  At the end of the school year, the rosaries that have been used for prayer are given as gift to a person or family selected by the class. Many little hands have touched these rosary beads in prayer throughout the year and the beads are alive with God’s love. People were chosen to receive this special rosary for a variety of reasons. Some have been a model of Christ’s love through ministries at Nativity. Some have recently lost a loved one. Some have had difficulties that have made them rely deeply on their faith. Some have loved ones that are sick. Some are serving our country in the military.  This year’s rosary recipients were Cooper May, Deacon Ralph Schramp, Caine Family, Bennie Vitale, Drew Gustafson, Matthew Clevenger, Kelly Henderson, Craig Metzler, Swift Family, Warren Family, North Family, Nessinger Family, Fr. Al Rockers, Jeanne Bangert, Ben Biller, Bob & Denise Vedder, Maverick Mooney and Tim Plank.

Last Sunday, we blessed and dedicated the Nativity Memorial Garden, donated by parishioner, Everett Mealman in memory of his wife, Mary Ellen. The garden is a lovely enhancement to our Nativity Campus. As Leawood has many beautiful sculptures enhancing the landscape of the city, the bronze statuary in our garden, richly illumined at night, is a nice addition to the art of the city as well. The garden is a beautiful place for prayer, reflection, and remembering our loved ones. We are grateful for this wonderful gift!

Please mark your calendar for May 22^nd. We will celebrate Fr. Al Rockers 60^th Anniversary of Ordination at the 11am Mass, followed by a reception in the parish hall.

Easter Blessings,
Fr. Mike

 

Pastor’s Corner…
I have received cards, emails, and had many conversations with parishioners and visitors filled with compliments and gratitude regarding our Holy Week Liturgies here at Nativity. I too, was so pleased and spiritually uplifted by our celebrations.  The liturgies of Holy Week require lots of planning and attention to detail, which helps bring the particular events we are celebrating to the forefront, helping us enter more deeply into the mystery of the saving work of the Lord for our redemption. I believe the positive feedback from so many spoke clearly, that people were renewed by their experience of Holy Week at Nativity.  Of course, that’s always the goal of the liturgy – being renewed by the Lord we celebrate and experience within the liturgy.

I believe we celebrated well! That doesn’t just happen. It takes a real collaborative effort, whereby gifts and talents are shared generously in service to the liturgy, with a great spirit of love for the Lord and His Church. Countless people worked on and behind the scenes to help make all the Holy Week celebrations such wonderful experiences of worship for our parishioners and guests who joined us. Thanks to each and every person who gave of themselves in service to the liturgy this Holy Week. You helped us to pray and worship. We are grateful!

We have included some pictures that show our parish at prayer during Holy Week.

“Give thanks to the Lord for he is good – eternal is his mercy!” – “For the sake of his sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”  Two beautiful refrains echoed by the Church as we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday to conclude the Octave of Easter.  You will remember that back in the Jubilee Year of 2000, Pope John Paul II declared the 2^nd Sunday of Easter to be celebrated as Divine Mercy Sunday as he canonized St. Faustina. This modern-day feast is based on the apparitions of the Risen Lord in 1931 to a Polish Nun, Sister Faustina, in the convent of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Warsaw, Poland. In brief, Jesus spoke to Sr. Faustina about his bountiful mercy for those lost in sin or broken by anxiety or suffering and commissioned her to be a herald of his merciful love. It’s a good day to celebrate God’s merciful love for us in Christ.  As we have received that mercy in countless ways, like St. Faustina, we too, are commissioned to be witnesses of God’s merciful love!  When I was in Poland three years ago, I was privileged to go to St. Faustina’s home where she was born and raised, the parish church where she was baptized, the convent where she died, and the Divine Mercy Basilica where she is buried. As of late, I’ve been aware of the generous mercy the Polish people have extended to the refugees from Ukraine.

One of my favorite quotes from the Diary of St. Faustina is when Jesus said to her: “If my death has not convinced you of my love for you, what will?”  Mother Teresa used to say it in another way: “If you ever doubt God’s love for you, look at the crucifix.”  In our Gospel for today’s Feast, Jesus invites Thomas to examine his wounds – “put his finger in the nail marks and put his hand in his side” – not only as a tangible proof that Jesus has indeed risen, but also as a reminder that Jesus suffered out of love for us to forgive and save us. As we heard on Good Friday, “By his wounds we have been healed.”  On this Divine Mercy Sunday, allow the Lord to remind you how much he loves you.

Peace and Joy in the Lord who Loves us.
Fr. Mike 
 

Pastor’s Corner…
On behalf of Fr. Gerard, Deacons Ralph and Jim, all the staff of Nativity Parish and School, I wish you a Happy and Blessed Easter!
            Jesus Christ is Risen Today – Alleluia!   Our Triumphant Holy Day – Alleluia!
            Who did once upon the cross – Alleluia!  Suffer to redeem our loss – Alleluia!


Congratulations to our New Catholics who joined the Church, as well as those completing their full initiation at the Easter Vigil. Leslie Glaser, Chris Sain and Graham Thomas were Baptized, Confirmed and received their First Holy Communion.  Kai Bressler, Sue Catron, Abby Czinege, Robert Montgomery. McKenzie Thomas, Amanda Underwood, Jon Wagner, Margo Wagner entered into Full-Communion with the Catholic Church through Profession of Faith, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist.  Noelle Gushard, Isabella Stockwood, Sophia Stockwood, Riley Messina completed their initiation into the Church through Confirmation.

We are so proud of all of you! We pray that your relationship with Christ continues to grow and that you will always feel at home in the Catholic Church and in our Nativity Community.  We welcome you with great joy and we pray that God will continue to bring to completion the good work he has begun in you!

Pastor’s Corner…
I want to wish you a very happy and blessed Holy Week.  It’s a week that calls and invites us each year. It is NOT just another ordinary week, but The Feast of Our Salvation! I invite you to engage this week. Unite yourself with the Church throughout the world. Keep it at the forefront of your mind each day. Let your thoughts and mood reflect - It’s Holy Week!  Celebrate and keep the week to the best of your ability.  Jesus suffered, died, and rose from the dead out of love for us. Holy Week puts before us and celebrates the events that brought us salvation in Christ – It’s not just another week – It’s the Feast of Our Salvation!

The best way we can engage this week is to celebrate the liturgies, particularly the Triduum - (3 days), which are seen as one continuous celebration.
- Please come on Holy Thursday to The Mass of the Lord’s Supper, when we celebrate the institution of the Holy Eucharist and remember how the Lord taught us to live the Eucharist as he washed his disciples’ feet. From the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, we move into the “night watch” as the Eucharistic procession leads us to the garden of Christ’s prayer to the Father, his invitation to the disciples “to watch and pray,” and his arrest.  At midnight, adoration will cease and the solemn fast of Good Friday begins.
- On Good Friday, come back to remember with gratitude and devotion, our Lord’s suffering and death, as we tell the story of his passion, venerate his cross, and are united with him in Holy Communion. Where else would we be on Good Friday? – How about turning off the TV, Computer, the Radio, between the hours of Noon and 3pm in solemn remembrance of the Lord hanging on the cross?  We will keep the church open during those hours for prayer.
- On Holy Saturday, we gather in solemn Vigil to celebrate Christ’s victory over death in the First Mass of Easter!  We light the new fire and sing the proclamation that Jesus is risen from the dead, we recount salvation history through the Scriptures, and we welcome new members into the Church through Baptism, Profession of Faith, Confirmation and Holy Communion – It is truly a night of hospitality and new life in our parish! 

Please note the schedule for the Triduum in this bulletin and make the effort to celebrate the 3 days with your Nativity Parish Family. Parents, bring your children to church during Holy Week!  The liturgies of Holy Week are part of the faith formation of our children – Celebrating the liturgies of Holy Week is what we do as Catholics.
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            -This Tuesday, the priests and deacons of the Archdiocese will gather with Archbishop Naumann for the Chrism Mass. At this Mass, the holy oils, which we use for the sacramental life of the Church, will be blessed and consecrated.  The oils will be brought back to the parish and presented to our community on Holy Thursday at the Mass of the Lord’s Supper.  The Chrism Mass is special for the Archbishop and all the priests, because we renew our promises of ordination and recommit ourselves to serve and minister as priests of the Lord for his Church. Please say a special prayer for the Archbishop, me,
Fr. Gerard, Deacon Ralph and Deacon Jim, and all of our priests and deacons, this Tuesday.
            -Offer special prayers this week for our “Elect” who will join the Church at the Easter Vigil.

            -Please remember that Good Friday is a Solemn Day of Fast and Abstinence.
Fasting: All Catholics in good health, ages 18 to 59 are to fast, taking only one meal, and two smaller meals (if needed) to maintain strength on Good Friday. No snacking in between!
Abstinence: All Catholics in good health, ages 14 and older, are to abstain from eating meat on Good Friday. No Catholic should excuse him/herself lightly from the fast and abstinence of Good Friday!

            -Holy Week Collections
Good Friday:  Collection is for the Holy Land – upkeep of the shrines.
Easter: For the parish.  Consider a special Easter gift in gratitude for your salvation in Christ and being a member of His Church!         
           
Hope to see you lots this week.  Remember, it’s not just another week.
May the celebration of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ renew each of us!
Fr. Mike