"Three Paths of Discipleship" by Fr. Chris House
January 20, 2024
This Sunday’s and last Sunday’s Gospel passages are about discipleship. Last week we heard the call of Andrew, Peter, and another disciple as recorded by John. This Sunday we have the calling of Andrew, Peter, James, and John as recorded by Mark. There are differences between the two accounts, but the differences are in the details. Both Mark and John agree on the focus of their accounts: Jesus called and these men followed.
Again, we are presented with the importance of answering the Lord’s call to follow him. What does discipleship look like? Honestly, that depends on who you ask. When I was on faculty at Mundelein Seminary some years back, Bishop Robert Barron, then rector, gave us three paths for seminarian formation, but these three paths were not just about making priests, they were for making disciples which must come first. Discipleship is grounded in a relationship with Jesus and too often people confuse a relationship with the Church as a relationship with Jesus. Our relationship with Jesus is animated and expressed through our relationship with the Church but it must be something completely distinct. It is important that we ask ourselves if we can distinguish between the two.
The first path of discipleship is finding the center of our lives and there are many people, ideologies, behaviors and so on that vie for that position. The center must be Jesus. We cannot be true disciples if he is not central to who we are: not close to the center and not near the center, but the actual center. Jesus Christ, not an idea of him but the actual person, must be the central reality of our lives. His life, love, and grace must be the grounding forces that guide and move our thoughts and actions. If anyone or anything other than Jesus is occupying the center space of our lives, then our discipleship is lacking.
The second path is acknowledging that each of us is a sinner. For some people this may come as a shock, but, yes, all of us are sinners and this acknowledgement is vital for true discipleship. The Scriptures chosen for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time point to this necessity. The beginning of Mark’s Gospel links the acceptance of Jesus’s call to repentance with the ability to accept his invitation to discipleship. If we are unwilling to acknowledge our need for a savior, then our discipleship will be empty. Jesus has come to save us from our sins and to lead us back to the fullness of the Father’s love. Any good and lasting relationship requires that each party know and understand each other. If we cannot, or will not, acknowledge our own sinfulness and our need for redemption then Jesus cannot be for us the savior that he wants to be and that we need him to be. Part of respecting our free will means that the Lord will not go where he is not invited, including into our lives. We must acknowledge our need for his mercy and forgiveness. When we do, then we can truly begin to know him.
The third and final path is acknowledging that our lives are not about us. Contrary to what the world tells us, we cannot always have what we want, when we want it, and however we want it if we would truly be the Lord’s disciples. The Lord Jesus tells us plainly “whoever would be my disciple must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me (Mt 16:24; Mk 8:34; Lk 9:23).” Our Lord’s life was rooted in sacrificial love, and it must be the same for the disciple. Our lives must be about Jesus Christ and the building up of his kingdom here and now. That is expressed in our love that is shown to our sisters and brothers. If our life’s focus is self-centered then we cannot walk this third path of discipleship.
These three paths ultimately form one path, enabling us to fully answer Jesus’s call to follow him. Jesus is calling each of us by name to true discipleship. Are we willing to walk the path of discipleship on his terms and fully answer his call?
Thomas Merton Prayer
Last weekend in my homily I mentioned a prayer by the late Fr. Thomas Merton, a trappist monk from the Abbey of Gethsemane in Kentucky. Merton was a prolific spiritual writer in the 1950s and 1960s. Here is Merton’s prayer:
My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always, though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
Blessings to you and yours for the week ahead!
Father Chris House
Happy 18th Sunday of Ordinary Time! Thank you to everyone who assisted with Dcn. Scott’s Farewell Reception. It was a great time of fellowship as we move into his assignment at St. Boniface in Edwardsville. This weekend, we will have a sendoff reception for Dennis Trickey and Collin Taylor. Dennis will be missed and has been a great gift to Christ the King. He will be back for visits. Collin Taylor is a parishioner and is entering his first year of seminary. We are immensely proud of him and he will be back for visits during seminary breaks. Next weekend, we will have our Annual Missionary Appeal coordinated through our Missions Office. Sr. Catherine will be here Aug 8-9 to share about her Religious and their Mission. She will speak at all Masses right before Mass starts. For more information see the bulletin. Next weekend, we also will have Blessing of the Backpacks at 4:30pm Mass and 10am Mass. We moved the date up due to my military schedule. The Blessing will take place at the end of Mass. For the Volunteer luncheon coming up on Aug 30. This luncheon is simply our way of saying thank you. We will offer a meal after 10am Mass plus a gift. Anyone who volunteers at Christ the King is welcome to attend. Volunteers would include service teams like perishing nursing, Good Samatarians, PB & J, auction team, money counters, etc. plus Mass ministries. Please sign-up for food count purposes, sign-up will be released soon. If you are interested in joining Pastoral Council, we are looking for 2 new members. More a description on the Pastoral Council, please see the bulletin. If you are interested, simply submit a letter of interest to Erin by Aug. 24. Term for pastoral council is 2 years with an option for a second term. We continue our Stewardship this summer with the tuckpointing ongoing, Pre-K HVAC, and Playgrounds. Our new School Annual Fund assisted with some of these projects and raised over $58K. Those projects are finishing up. We also repainted the parking lot lines. We will be doing some maintenance on the Gym Floor over the next 2-3weeks. Worship Candlelight Adoration – Aug 2, Aug 30, Oct. 4, Nov. 15, and Dec. 6 Marian Candlelight Masses: Dec 2, 9, 16, and 23 Formation Adult Faith Formation Series: Oct. 25, Nov. 1, Nov. 8 after 5pm Mass. Afternoon sessions to be released soon Family Faith Formation Series: Sept. 20, 27, Oct. 4 after 10am Mass Pre-Advent Mission: Nov. 15-16 OCIA: Dates to be released soon Fellowship Dennis Trickey and Collin Taylor Send Off: Aug 2 after 10am Mass Fr Jayke White Welcome Party: Aug 23 after 10am Mass Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon: Aug 30 after 10am Mass. Flyer and RSVP coming soon. In Christ’s Mercy, Fr. Mark Tracy Fr. Mark’s Military Schedule August 13-16 and September 11-13
Happy 17th Sunday of Ordinary Time! Our 1st reading today praises the gift of Wisdom. Through the Bible, wisdom is praised as a gift from the Holy Spirit. From the biblical perspective, this gift of the Holy Spirit allows one to understand Divine truths and apply them concretely to their lives. Through this understanding and application, the wise person makes sound decisions through following the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Let us pray then each of us can know the Holy Spirit’s prompts correctly and follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance in our lives. Reminder, we will be installing the Hearing Loop in the Church on July 28-30. During that time, we will not have access to the Church for Mass, Adoration, and Confessions. I apologize for the inconvenience. We will offer Daily Mass those days at 7am in the Sacred Heart Chapel with no 6:30am confessions. Please use the St. Joseph Choir Door to enter those days. We continue our Stewardship this summer with the tuckpointing ongoing, Pre-K HVAC, and Playgrounds. Our new School Annual Fund assisted with some of these projects and raised over $58K. Those projects are finishing up. We also repainted the parking lot lines. We will doing some maintenance on the Gym Floor over the next 2-3 weeks. Worship Candlelight Adoration – Aug 2, Aug 30, Oct. 4, Nov. 15, and Dec. 6 Marian Candlelight Masses: Dec 2, 9, 16, and 23 Formation Adult Faith Formation Series: this fall after 5pm with meal provided. Dates will be released soon Family Faith Formation Series: 3 sessions coming up this fall after 10am Mass with meal provided Pre-Advent Mission: Nov. 15-16 Fellowship Dcn. Scott Farewell Reception: July 26 after 10am Mass Dennis Trickey and Collin Taylor Send Off: Aug 2 after 10am Mass Fr Jayke White Welcome Party: Aug 23 after 10am Mass Volunteer Appreciate Luncheon: Aug 30 after 10am Mass In Christ’s Mercy, Fr. Mark Tracy Fr. Mark’s Military Schedule August 13-16 and Sepatember 11-13
Happy 16th Sunday of Ordinary Time! Thank you to everyone who assisted with Totus Tuus! It was a great week of worship, formation, and fellowship for our youth. As you can see below, we have some exciting events coming up soon. To assist myself and parish staff with these events, I am excited to announce that Michelle Ofreneo Zata and Amanda Cagwin have hired as Parish Engagement Coordinators. These positions are part-time and they will be coordinated many things including women’s ministry, family formation events, and welcoming new parishioners. I am excited for them as they begin his ministry partnering with me to provide parish engagement opportunities. We will be installing the Hearin Loop in the Church on July 28-30. During that time, we will not have access to the Church for Mass, Adoration, and Confessions. I apologize for the inconvenience. We will offer Daily Mass those days at 7am in the Sacred Heart Chapel. Please use the St. Joseph Choir Door to enter those days. Reminder, that we are doing a new Parish Directory. Sign up information is around Campus and in the bulletin. Please sign up for photos, they are free for the directory. It will be great to have a new one as Fr. Jayke comes on board. We continue our Stewardship this summer with the tuckpointing ongoing, Pre-K HVAC, and Playgrounds. We also will be repainting the parking lot lines. Parking lot needs work, but we do that in due time after several big projects are completed on Campus. Worship Candlelight Adoration – Aug 2, Aug 30, Oct. 4, Nov. 15, and Dec. 6 Marian Candlelight Masses: Dec 2, 9, 16, and 23 Formation Adult Faith Formation Series: this fall after 5pm with meal provided. Dates will be released soon Family Faith Formation Series: 3 sessions coming up this fall after 10am Mass with meal provided Pre-Advent Mission: Nov. 15-16 Fellowship Dcn. Scott Farewell Reception: July 26 after 10am Mass Dennis Trickey and Collin Taylor Send Off: Aug 2 after 10am Mass Fr Jayke White Welcome Party: Aug 23 after 10am Mass Volunteer Appreciate Luncheon: Aug 30 after 10am Mass In Christ’s Mercy, Fr. Mark Tracy Fr. Mark’s Military Schedule July 18-19 and August 13-16
Happy 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time! This weekend, we welcome Fr. Jayke White to our Parish for his 1st Weekend. We will have a Welcome Party for him on Aug 23 after the 10am Mass. We will be installing the Hearing Loop in the Church on July 28-30. During that time, we will not have access to the Church for Mass, Adoration, and Confessions. I apologize for the inconvenience. We will offer Daily Mass those days at 7am in the Sacred Heart Chapel. Please use the St. Joseph Choir Door to enter those days. Reminder, that we are doing a new Parish Directory. Sign up information is around Campus and in the bulletin. Please sign up for photos, they are free for the directory. It will be great to have a new one as Fr. Jayke comes on board. In the bulletin as well, you will see some new funeral policies for our Diocese. They were promulgated by Bishop Paprocki on July 1. Bishop met with all the funeral directors and Pastors of our Diocese this past year to explain the changes. Below you will find worship, formation, and fellowship events coming up. Dates to be released soon! More similar types of events are being planned as well. We continue our Stewardship this summer with the tuckpointing ongoing, Pre-K HVAC, and Playgrounds. We also will be repainting the parking lot lines. Parking lot needs work, but we do that in due time after several big projects are completed on Campus. Worship Candlelight Adoration – dates will be released soon Marian Candlelight Masses: Dec 2, 9, 16, and 23 Formation Adult Faith Formation Series: this fall after 5pm with meal provided. Dates will be released soon Family Faith Formation Series: 3 sessions coming up this fall after 10am Mass with meal provided Pre-Advent Mission: Nov. 15-16 Fellowship Dcn. Scott Farewell Reception: July 26 after 10am Mass Dennis Trickey and Collin Taylor Send Off: Aug 2 after 10am Mass Fr Jayke White Welcome Party: Aug 23 after 10am Mass Volunteer Appreciate Luncheon: Aug 30 after 10am Mass In Christ’s Mercy, Fr. Mark Tracy Fr. Mark’s Military Schedule July 18-19 and August 13-16 Totus Tuus Mass is open to all parishioners 11:15
Happy 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time! I pray you had a wonderful July 4th . Thank you to everyone who assisted with the Farewell Reception for Fr. Alex. It was a great time and great send off for him. He enjoyed his time with the Parish and School. Fr. Jayke White will be here for Masses next weekend, July 11-12. We have another transition happening at Christ the King as well this summer. Dcn. Scott Keen as of July 1 will be assigned as Deacon at St. Boniface Parish in Edwardsville. It is sad to see him go and he will be missed. I am excited for him as well because he will be closer to his son, daughter-in-law, and new grandson. Please keep Johnna and Dcn. Scott in your prayers during their move away from Springfield to be closer to family. Reminder that we are doing a new Parish Directory. Sign up information is around Campus and in the bulletin. Please sign up for photos, they are free for the directory. It will be great to have a new one as Fr. Jayke comes on board. In the bulletin as well, you will see some new funeral policies for our Diocese. They were promulgated by Bishop Paprocki on July 1. Bishop met with all the funeral directors and Pastors of our Diocese this past year to explain the changes. Quick reminder that Totus Tuus is coming up at CTK. The Totus Tuus team will be here July 11-17. They will be with us for Sunday Masses. The team will run junior high and high school program July 12-16 and will run 1 -6 program July 13-17. See flyer in bulletin for more information and to sign up. Finally in coming weeks, I will be releasing some exciting Worship and Formation opportunities that we will be having this fall. Save the Dates July 11-12: Fr. Jayke White first weekend Masses July 26: Dcn. Scott Farewell Reception. He will be preaching 8am and 10am Mass Aug 2: Dennis Trickey Going Away Party and Collin Taylor Send off after 10am Mass Aug 23: Fr Jayke White Welcome Party In Christ's Mercy, Fr. Mark Tracy Military Schedule July 18-19 and August 13-16
This weekend, my last weekend here at Christ the King, I would like to reiterate what I said in my announcement I made back in April. I have so much to be thankful for in the last two years. So many great experiences, lessons, and people. Christ the King is where I came shortly after my ordination and where I have begun to learn the ropes of the priesthood. In that regard, I have to say I am grateful to both Fr. Chris and Fr. Mark for their guidance and example. Above all, I am grateful for all of the relationships I have made in my time here. I am reminded of what Fr. Denis Robinson, OSB, the rector of St. Meinrad Seminary told me at my first Mass. He reminded me to frequently look out to the people in my midst. That is what I have tried to do, and it is what I hope to try to do in the future. I have joked several times in the past few weeks about two things: that there are no people more excited about my move to Effingham than my family and that I used to laugh about priests using the word “bittersweet” when they move to a new assignment. I know the first is true since I will only be about a 30 minute drive from my family. Regarding the second, I can count myself in the number of priests who say moving is bittersweet. Yes, there are many exciting things ahead for both myself and for Christ the King. But it is difficult to move away and say goodbye as well. Which is why I repeat what I have said before. As Christians, we are always united together as the mystical Body of Christ. I will see you in the Eucharist. Rev. Alex McCullough Parochial Vicar Save the Dates June 28: Fr. Alex McCullough Going Away Party after 10am Mass July 11-12: Fr. Jayke White first weekend Masses Aug 2: Dennis Trickey Going Away Party and Collin Taylor Send off after 10am Mass Aug 23: Fr Jayke White Welcome Party Fr. Mark’s Military Schedule July 18-19 and August 13-16
Happy 12th Sunday of Ordinary Time! Happy Father’s Day to all our fathers. Fathers like our mothers are so immensely important in our lives. I was blessed with a wonderful father and mother. My father was a constant and reliable rock for our family. He did a great job showing us God the Father’s love in his constant care for us. He also displayed the Father’s love through positively challenging us grow. We will conclude Masses this weekend with a special blessing for fathers. Fr. Alex’s last weekend with us will be next weekend June 27-28. We will have a going away party for him after 10am Mass. He has been great gift to our Parish family. He has also been a great gift to me personally. He helped immensely during my first year with many tasks and showing me around Campus. Please keep him in your prayers as he moves to Effingham. Please keep Fr. Jayke White in your prayers as well. He will be with us for Weekend Masses for the 1st time on July 11-12. Quick reminder that Totus Tuus is coming up at CTK. The Totus Tuus team will be here July 11-17. They will be with us for Sunday Masses. The team will run the junior high and high school program July 12-16 and will run the 1st-6th grade program July 13-17. See flyer in bulletin for more information and to sign up. Finally, thank you to everyone who has assisted and coordinated the PB & J ministry. If you would like to donate to this ministry, we are especially in need of Peanut Butter and Jelly. If you would like to donate either of those items, just drop them off in the basket in the back of Church or at the Parish Office. Save the Dates June 28: Fr. Alex McCullough Going Away Party after 10am Mass July 11-12: Fr. Jayke White first weekend Masses Aug 2: Dennis Trickey Going Away Party and Collin Taylor Send off after 10am Mass Aug 23: Fr Jayke White Welcome Party In Christ’s Mercy, Fr. Mark Tracy Military Schedule July 18-19 and August 13-16
Happy 11th Sunday of Ordinary Time! Thank you to everyone who helped make the Corpus Christi Procession a great success. Thank you as well to all who participated in the Corpus Christi Procession. It was a great day for our Parish Family celebrating and worshiping Jesus in the Eucharist. I greatly enjoyed interacting with everyone at the social, it was a great time of fellowship together as a family. As you can see on campus, we are seeking to live out the value of stewardship from your generosity. The value of stewardship is about using our gifts to build up the Kingdom of God and supporting our parish/school. Through your support, we are seeking to be good stewards on our resources in taking care of our buildings this summer through tuckpointing, new Pre-K HVAC, and Pre-K and K-8 playground renovations. These projections were partly funded through the School Annual Fund and School Auction. I am deeply grateful to your generosity in supporting our parish and school. Our School updated their vision and mission to more align with our Parish. You can view a sneak peek of the updated school vision and mission on the School’s Facebook page. Finally, thank you to everyone who has assisted and coordinated the PB & J ministry. If you would like to donate to this ministry, we are in need of Peanut Butter and Jelly especially. If you like to donate either of those items, just drop them off in back of Church or at the Parish Office. Save the Dates June 28: Fr. Alex McCullough Going Away Party after 10am Mass July 11-12: Fr. Jayke White first weekend Masses Aug 2: Dennis Trickey Going Away Party and Collin Taylor Send off after 10am Mass Aug 23: Fr. Jayke White Welcome Party In Christ’s Mercy, Fr. Mark Tracy Military Schedule June 12-14 and July 18-19
Happy Solemnity of Corpus Christi! This great Solemnity was instituted in the mid-1200s to celebrate the Institution of the Eucharist outside of Holy Week. On Holy Thursday, we celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper in which Jesus instituted the Eucharist, but after Holy Thursday procession we somberly recall our Lord’s betrayal in the garden. Corpus Christi celebration outside of Holy Week allows us as Catholics to celebrate Jesus’s institution of the Holy Eucharist with more festival celebrations. To honor Corpus Christi Solemnity, we will have Eucharistic Procession immediately following the 10am Mass with a social afterwards in the Parish Center. We will process around Campus to 3 altars. We will process immediately after Mass from the Church to the 1st Altar by the Parish Center. The procession will last roughly 30-40 minutes. We will conclude the Procession back in Church with Benediction. This Eucharistic Procession lines up well with our update Vision/Mission/Values. An important value of any Catholic Parish is worshipping the Holy Trinity through Sacraments and prayer. Eucharistic Procession are a unique way to worship Jesus in the Eucharist outside of Mass. You probably noticed another one of our values being lived out through some school construction. The value of stewardship is about using our gifts to build up the Kingdom of God and supporting our parish/school. Through your support, we are seeking to be good stewards on our resources in taking care of our buildings this summer through tuckpointing, new Pre-K HVAC, and Pre-K and K-8 playground renovations. These projections were partly funded through the School Annual Fund and School Auction. Finally, our School updated their vision and mission to more align with our Parish. You can view a sneak peek of the updated school vision and mission on the School’s Facebook page. Please note there will be incense at these Masses: June 6: 4:30pm June 7: 10am Save the Dates June 7: Corpus Christi Procession after 10am Mass with Social Afterwards June 28: Fr. Alex McCullough Going Away Party after 10am Mass July 11-12: Fr. Jayke White first weekend Masses Aug 2: Dennis Trickey Going Away Party and Collin Taylor Send off after 10am Mass In Christ’s Mercy, Fr. Mark Tracy Military Schedule June 12-14 and July 18-19
Happy Holy Trinity Sunday! This great Solemnity emphasizes the uniqueness of Christianity. Jesus as our Lord revealed that God is Trinity, one Godhead in three Persons. St John summed up Jesus’s revelation up beautiful when he said God is Love. God is a communion of Love between the Father, Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. We live at communion with God through Jesus in the Holy Spirit when we live in our baptismal and confirmation identity as sons/daughters of God, disciples of Jesus, and temples of the Holy Spirit. Reminder that next weekend is the great Solemnity of Corpus Christi. We will have a Eucharistic Procession immediately following the 10am Mass. Anyone is welcome to join the procession even if you attend a different Mass that weekend. We will process around Campus to 3 altars. We will process immediately after Mass from the Church to the 1st Altar by the Parish Center. The procession will last roughly 30-40 minutes. We will conclude the Procession back in Church with Benediction. A social will start at Parish Center right afterwards with light lunch. Please RSVP for food count purposes to the Parish Office. Thank you in advance to all the staff and volunteers who are making this procession and social possibly. It will great celebrating Jesus in the Eucharist and having fellowship with another as brothers and sisters in Christ. Please note that there will be incense at these Masses: May 3 0 : 10am June 6: 4:30pm June 7: 10am Save the Dates June 7: Corpus Christi Procession after 10am Mass with Social Afterwards June 28: Fr. Alex McCullough Going Away Party after 10am Mass July 11-12: Fr. Jayke White first weekend Masses Aug 2: Dennis Trickey Going Away Party and Collin Taylor Send off after 10am Mass In Christ’s Mercy, Fr. Mark Tracy Military Schedule June 12-14 and July 18-19
