No Confirmation or Youth Group tonight. Stay safe!

Advent: The Catholic New Year

     This past Sunday marks the end for the liturgical year and the beginning of the new liturgical year. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

     Over the past week I have thought a lot about the new year and New Year’s resolutions. Less than a month from now we will be making many new years resolutions. I can not tell you the number of times that I have heard of people making resolutions to lose weight, getting in shape, or getting better grades. I am skeptical of these actions because very few people are successful in fulfilling their resolutions. Commonly these resolutions look introspective and are arrogant. These resolutions are not bad but commonly these types of resolutions are concerned with look better on the outside but have very little effect on our character.

Many people look at the season of Lent as another time to make resolutions. During Lent we give something up or take on some form of prayer or almsgiving. Most Catholic do not know that the season of Advent has a long standing tradition of spiritual resolutions. Advent is the time of great waiting! We wait in great expectation of December 25, Christmas Day. We also wait in expectation of the second coming. Traditionally cities had watchman to keep watch over a city during the night and they waited for the first rays of the sun. Over time waiting and silence became synonyms for the same spiritual truth of anticipation and preparation.

     This year I am trying to make faith based resolutions at the beginning Advent. It is my prayer that like Lent the actions that I started during Advent will continue through the year. Over time I have fallen away from several types of prayer that have been fruitful in the past. Personally I desire to spend some time with Christ in the Adoration Chapel each day. Adoration helps me silence my heart and body and listen to Christ. I am shutting off the radio of in my car either going to or coming back from work and make that a little time to check in with the Lord (aka Pray). I have done this in the past and it has made Christmas so much more fulfilling and exiting because I did not get so caught up in the consumerism of Christmas.

     There are many different ways of waiting; you have to find your own. Be creative! If you want to be successful write it down. Write down what you are going to do (quiet prayer), where you are doing it (in my bed room), when you are going to do it (before school), and for how long (30 min a day). Know yourself; if you get easy distracted in your room don't pray there. If you struggle to be silent for 5 minutes, do not try to made a holy hour, start with a holy 10 or 15 minutes. Challenge yourself, but also make it reasonable. Then stick to it. If you do not do it one day, OK you missed and are human, get back up and start again. Never give up and this will be one of the most blessed Christmases and years ever!

Happy Advent and Happy New Year

Hello to the St Joseph’s Community! 
My name is Aaron Pohlen and I am the new Director of Youth Ministry. I am very excited to become a member of such an amazing community! I look forward to meeting each of you in the coming weeks.

I grew up in rural Northwest Iowa. Yes, it is true that Iowa has a lot of corn and pigs, but there is so much more in the state than agriculture. I went to a small catholic grade school and high school. I also attended a regional youth group where I grew and encountered the Lord in a different way than even in my catholic high school. After high school I attended college seminary at the University of St Thomas in St Paul, MN and St John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver, CO. This past year I decided that God was not calling me on toward ordination but was calling me to serve the youth in the Church.

My hobbies include water-skiing, wake-boarding, and snowboarding. When the weather is nice I enjoy spending time outside. I also enjoy listening to music and spending time with friends!

The middle school and high school youth group times will be staying the same for the foreseeable future as I get to know the needs of the parish. As a reminder here is the normal schedule:

Sunday – Confirmation 3-5pm, eQuip: High School Youth Group 5-7pm, Mass 7pm

Monday – The WALK: Middle School Youth Group 6-7:30pm

Tuesday – nothing

Wednesday – Deep End: Discussion Group 7-9

I will be having a mandatory parents meeting for parents of students who will be in the Confirmation program is year. This is primarily sophomore and juniors.

If you have questions, or need anything, please feel free to contact me by phone or text at 712-541-7327. My email address is st.joeyg@gmail.com. I have also created a new youth group Facebook account (Aaron A Pohlen) so that you can keep up to date with the youth group.

Registration Forms for middle and high school can be found in the lobby of the church or in the parish office. After the mass please fill them out and return to the office before August 31. If the form is returned after August 31 there is an additional $5 charge.