The Lord’s Party It can take some red-faced huffing and puffing to inflate the

balloons for a celebration when you do things the old-fashioned way. Stretching the stem of a balloon makes it easier, but still challenging.

Mary Magdalene had gone to the Lord’s tomb in mourning and found the stone rolled away. The Gospel of Mark recounts a man clothed in white saying that Jesus had risen! Listening to the report of what she had seen and heard, doubt could make the news seem like a lot of hot air. To see for themselves, Peter and another beloved Disciple ran to check out the tomb.

Next, the Lord met two of His followers on the Road to Emmaus. Although they talked along the way about the fulfillment of Scripture, it took the breaking of the bread for the two to recognize Jesus. They hurried to tell the others, and as they recounted what had taken place, the Lord appeared again.

Jesus found the Disciples, except for Thomas, hiding out in a locked room in fear and uncertainty. Before the Crucifixion, the Lord had tried to prepare them for the events that would unfold. Realizing that they couldn’t bear all that He wanted to tell them, Jesus had stretched their understanding just so far.

In that locked room, Jesus breathed new life into them—not just hope, but the Holy Spirit! The Lord gave them the authority to forgive sins and sent them to pick up where He had left off. Thomas didn’t believe that the others had seen Jesus. A week later, the Lord found all Eleven still hunkered down in the locked room. He wanted them to live and breathe and share His Word so that more people would come to believe.

Participating in Holy Mass, we hear the Word of God and behold as bread and wine become His Body and Blood. Whether we feel joyful or deflated, the Lord’s love can fill our hearts. Your gift during the Ashes to Easter Fund Drive will enable viewers of the TV Mass to come to the celebration!

Faith As Close As Your TV

Monthly Bulletin April 2018

Announcements

Fr. Mark PayneChaplain

Heart of the Nation’s chaplains will remember your beloved mother, grandmothers, and other special mothers at Mass. Please send their names on the enclosed spiritual bouquet card.

Heart of the Nation welcomes viewers to TV Mass on our newest broadcast channel:

Waco-Temple-Bryan, TXKYLE channel 28 (“Y28”)

9:00 a.m.

Mother’sDay

SpiritualBouquet

Please donate during the Ashes to Easter Fund Drive this month, or make a pledge to give monthly. For the importance of your gift, see page 2.

Ashesto

Easter

Welcome

When the light hits an object just right, it casts a shadow in a completely different shape. “Shadow artists” use that idea when they set up displays that look at first glance like a jumble of stuff brought down from the attic, a heap of cans and bottles from the recycling bin, or other assorted props seemingly placed willy-nilly on the floor or a table. Then, in a spotlight, an amazing shadow appears. The shadow might look like a landscape, a person, or an animal—not at all what we would expect. The creative artist has actually placed everything with care. Our creative God is like that.

On the Solemnity of the Annunciation, Scripture describes the angel Gabriel telling Mary about a Son that she will name Jesus, His rule over the house of Jacob forever, and His Kingdom without end. It all seemed quite a jumble. Mary wanted to do her part but asked how she could possibly become a mother while still a virgin. The angel said that the power of the Most High would overshadow her. What seemed impossible wouldn’t pose a problem for God. To reassure Mary, the angel revealed the miraculous pregnancy of her cousin Elizabeth after years and years of waiting.

God takes care to give us everything we need. Our task becomes putting things in place. Sometimes, we need to rearrange our priorities. We might need to downsize and, in the process, discover things previously hidden from our sight. When things don’t go our way, it might take some creativity to make the best of whatever we have before us. In our failings, we notice the proverbial truth that sin casts a long shadow, but in repentance the shadow can change wonderfully.

Through it all, our faith teaches us that the Light of the Lord continues to shine upon us and overshadow the messiness of our lives. He wants us to stay close, inviting us to shadow Him!

Fr. Tony ScannellChaplain

In the Acts of the Apostles, St. Peter visits the home of Cornelius, a Gentile who invited him after having a vision from God. Cornelius had no idea what Peter would tell him. Other people gathered in curiosity, too.

Peter said that God welcomes anyone who acts uprightly or in faith receives forgiveness through the Lord’s name. Then the Holy Spirit came upon everyone listening that day, Gentiles included.

“Your gift during the Ashes to Easter Fund Drive is important to everyone who depends on Heart of the Nation’s ministry each week,” explained Fr. Mark Payne. “Because God’s Word can speak to us in surprising ways, we don’t want to miss even one Sunday Mass.”

Overshadowing Love“I have enjoyed your TV Mass. I have told my mother about the show, and she would like to receive the Prayer & Worship Guide.”

~Andrea

“I was very grateful that I received your station’s information from a friend of mine.” ~Sheri

“The Sunday Mass on TV gives us a little heavenly time. We love it.” ~Lloyd

Vocations PrayerLoving Father,You give each of us a vocation, and I gratefully pray:For couples whose hearts share one love;For families who find blessing in their loving fold;For those in ordained and consecrated life, who make Your love visible;For single laypeople who lovingly serve You; For all now discerning how to reflect the promise of Your love.Please bless and guide them in every choice. Amen.

(World Day of Prayer for Vocations is April 22.)

On the Sunday of Divine Mercy, the indulgenced act is devout prayer with a contrite heart, using words such as

“Merciful Jesus, I trust in You!”A plenary (full) indulgence has more requirements,

including freedom from all attachment to sin—a difficult standard.

For the feast of Divine Mercy, Jesus promised St. Faustina that the faithful who partake in sacramental Confession and receive Holy Communion while trusting in His mercy would receive forgiveness and complete remission of punishment.

Anyone unable to receive the Eucharist should make a Spiritual Communion with great trust.

Heart of the Nation’s Sunday TV Mass includes a Prayer for Spiritual Communion. Confession does not have to be on the feast day; its purpose is to attain a state of grace, a requirement to receive Holy Communion.

While the revelations to Sr. Faustina have not been given the status of Church dogma, believing the Lord’s promises accords with the Catholic faith. Jesus also promised mercy through praying a Chaplet of Divine Mercy, a novena, and daily prayer at the “hour of mercy” (3:00 p.m.). He asked St. Faustina to paint His image as an object of veneration. In the painting, Jesus has one hand raised in blessing, and glorious rays emanate from His heart.

New Heights for “Low Sunday”On Easter, Catholics celebrate the high point in our faith: The Lord has Risen! The Octave of Easter, eight days of

rejoicing, end on what became known as “Low Sunday” (at least in comparison with Easter).When Saint Pope John Paul II canonized Sr. Faustina Kowalska on Low Sunday in the year 2000, he also declared it

an annual Sunday of Divine Mercy. The Lord Jesus had appeared to St. Faustina, telling her on numerous occasions that He desired such a feast.

The Church established the day as an occasion for the faithful to seek indulgences, which reduce the need for purification on Earth or in purgatory as a result of sin. An indulgence requires freedom from mortal sin, stating to God that you desire the indulgence, and fulfillment of an indulgenced act.

PrayerTo the Risen

LordLord, to You I offer joyful praiseFor the compassion that You give.Grateful prayer to You I raise, Who have shown me how to live.

In faith, I want to follow You,Although I sometimes stumble.May love guide all that I pursue—Your love, Savior most humble.

You know without my voicingEvery blessing, dream, and care.With Easter hope and rejoicing,I come to You in thankful prayer.

My Prayer RequestsDear Fr. Mark,❏ Please place my special prayer intentions before the altar of the Lord for the TV Mass:

Name Please send your prayers to Heart of the Nation, 1126 S. 70th Street, N601, Milwaukee, WI 53214.

Members of the Circle of the Heart monthly giving club are gratefully remembered in prayerduring every Sunday TV Mass. Please mark the box on your donation envelope to join.

With gratitude, Heart of the Nation welcomes new members to the Circle of the Heart monthly giving club. As a member, you will be included in prayers placed before the altar for every Sunday TV Mass. To join, please mark the box on your donation en-velope, and indicate the amount of your pledge. (If you need to change or cancel your pledge, just call, e-mail, or send a note to Heart of the Nation.) Thank you!

Contact Us:Heart of the Nation

1126 S. 70th Street, N601Milwaukee, WI 53214

Toll-Free: (855) 855-6277 Email:

Mail@HeartoftheNation.org Web:

www.HeartoftheNation.org

Elizabeth S. AlcantaraNorma M. Andersen

William AnthosEugenia Arena

Linda BairelGeraldine M. Basek

Judith BassoIvy Bejarano

Reynold BeldingPhyllis Berlinski

Ronald V. BiermanBonnie Boe

Norman BrenneckeCatherine Broomell

Jo Ellen BrownMichael Burchell Sr.Veronica CallaghanMr. & Mrs. David L.

CampbellDelia V. CanuGeorge ChanSilvia Charles

Vivian V. ConradDavid A. Crowe

Carol Decker-NoliDella DeGroot

Sara Deluca SerraJuan E. Diaz

Mr. & Mrs. Norbert Dirkman

Nguon DoSusan Domena

Mr. & Mrs. Jimmy Dore

Edward EisenhauerJohn Ewart

Anne L. FaulknerDonald FennellRocio FergusonEduardo GalangArturo R. Garcia

Hazel GeiMrs. Mary GennaroShirley G. Gonzales

Edna GreyOlivia Grubbs

Maria GuerreroSusan GuriaVallerie Guy

Frank & Lupe HernandezJudith HobbsWilliam Horst

Virginia HowlettMarisa Javier

Sr. Ellen M. Jennings, OFSLouis Johnson

Susanne JohnsonMr. & Mrs. Joseph

Kaupert Sr.Shirley KerbyPhyllis Klemp

Pete KolbeMarianne LameLeonard P. Landi

Christine J. LaroucheLarry LaumannMartha Licano

Judith M. LojeskiSandy Lopez

Patricia LoprestiArlene A. MartinAndrea McDadeDavid Mcgovern

Peter McLeanCathy Melendez

John & Alice MillerMargaret MorsiHoward NevinHarold NiccloyJames R. Ochs

Martha OffenhauserAlan Pendergrass

Darlene PtaszynskiMarjorie RoePatricia RollsKathryn Ross

John J. Ryan, Jr.Lucy Sanchez

Evangeline ScarpelliNina & Bert Schulz

Linda ScottLynn Sheets

Margie SnowdenRonald SosnowskiBernadine Srocki

Danuta StachowiakJudith Stanczak

Michael P. StarichJohn J. SvitakCelia Sweazie

Prayer & Worship Guide: Order for YourselfOr As a Gift for Someone You Love ❏ Please start a free annual subscription to the large-print Prayer & Worship Guide, published 7 times per year by Heart of the Nation. Send it to the person listed below:

Name (please print):______________________________________________________________________

Address:_______________________________________________________________________________

City:____________________________________________ State:_________ Zip Code:________________

Please return this form to Heart of the Nation, 1126 S. 70th Street, Suite N601, Milwaukee, WI 53214. Allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Thank You!

Carol SwiackiGereon Tan

Rosemary ThomasMary ThumlertLouis A. TobiaJanet Topole

Mrs. Angelita ValencianoClaudia Van Meter

Karla VasquezBrian Viera

Gary V. VillerozVictoria Viray

Mary VogtDouglas White

Mary Ann WilsonJose Yanez

Linda Youstra