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FOR MILITARY FAMILIES
For all parish resources visit madisondiocese.org/resources-support.
"Moving and deployments are the hardest part of military life and I think one of the best remedies is finding and establishing a community quickly. Fortunately, the Catholic Church is exquisitely well poised to do this." - Catholic Military Family
We humbly admit that we don't know everything that military families need.
If you do, PLEASE SHARE WITH US!
We do know military families share the needs of other families in addition to struggles specific to military life. Don't overlook the fact that military couples need marriage enrichment, good youth ministry, solid Catholic formation, etc.
They may face specific struggles like PTSD, addiction, marital strain from absences due to training and deployment, extra strain on children due to frequent transitions, and more. Tap into existing resources for these families.
We will not see these struggles if military families are not part of our community! Here are some suggestions from a military family that might help others find a parish home:
- Help families find a parish that will fit their family so they can build community quickly. Do they need a Catholic School, other young families, have a passion for social justice, etc.?
- "Military folks are also suckers for free events with free stuff. If dioceses or parishes have events that can attract young singles, married, or families (annual festival, praise and worship service, blood drive, etc.) those can be helpful and can often spark a relationship or help someone get "in". Offering free items or food is always going to help with recruitment."
- Personally invite military families to events. Speak with them after Mass, call them or meet with them when they register for the parish, etc.
- If someone needs help or support and your not sure how to direct them, reach out to the Archdiocese of Military Services to ask for direction.
- Offer a special Mass, prayer intentions, parish wide prayer/novena, etc. for service members and their families!
Resources for Military Couples
Click on the red titles to be redirected to the website for more information.
- Archdiocese for Military Services, USA
- Diocese of Madison Military Chaplain: Monsighnor Donald Heiar
- FOCUS: Resilience Training for Military Families
- Secular resource that looks valuable
- World Wide Marriage Encounter
- For Your Marriage Articles blogpost from military families
Pope Benedict XVI suggests that “Emmaus is really everywhere, the road that leads there is the path of every Christian, indeed, every human being.” From the time we develop the gift of reason, our journeys are adventures that seek to understand the past, find joy in the present, and plot the course for the future. We are constantly in dialogue with ourselves, others, and God. We try to put together the pieces of the past so that we can understand how we came to be where we are today and what we need to do in order to face tomorrow. We reach for voices that can help us interpret and learn from events and circumstances that have affected us, helping us make sense of where life has brought us. We need to listen to the right voices as we ponder a pivotal question: where is the road of my life going to end? If we are not cautious, we can easily be deceived.
When we are walking through life with our heads held high, spunk in our step and eyes twinkling bright with glances to heaven, all is right with the world, it is easier to see God’s hand. God’s glory dances in myriad ways around us and the hand of His loving presence holds ours as we exhale songs of praise. When life’s disappointments, challenges, and difficulties are in recession and the warmth of joy’s rays are shining on our face, it is easier to see God’s love and guidance. Everything is in sync. But, when sorrow, failure, disappointment, and fear weigh us down, our eyes are fixed downward, and we walk through life looking downcast. We carry heavy burdens. We see not what is above but what is below and easily tire from the sacks we carry. It is harder to see God’s love when we are hurting and feeling betrayed or abandoned. Finding meaning in life’s ugliness can be an arduous task indeed. We need a discerning eye.
Is God a real Being or simply an idea that we entertain? Often, we reduce God to a set of ideas, rules, expectations, theories, and principles and neglect seeing him as a Real Presence who walks with us. What are we expecting God to do? If we are expecting God to rearrange and fix the disjointed and broken furniture of our lives, then we may end up very disappointed. Even the disciples on the Road of Emmaus suffered from this myopic shortsightedness. They were expecting Jesus to put Israel back together, save it from the Romans and redeem it! That’s what they were hoping for! Instead, he was killed, and they were seemingly left alone with all of their broken furniture. Their misconceived expectations blinded them to what was really going on. We lose our sight, too. Our hope gets displaced.
God’s Word wonderfully keeps it all in balance. It holds together life and death, suffering and healing, grace and sin, joy and despair, justice and injustice, and faith and doubt. The Word, who was with God from the beginning bursts forth into the Word made flesh with creative love, sustaining and creating all things for all times and in all ages. The Word, captured in the pages of Scripture, is the only thing that can interpret our lives and help us find the presence of God. The Word alone helps us lift our eyes from what is below and fix them on what is above regardless of time and circumstance. It is the Word who helps us walk with purpose and determination reminding us how foolish we are not to believe all that has gone before us. We need to trust that our companions in faith, whose lives of fidelity and witness abound in Sacred Scripture, are here to help us and interpret all that is happening.
We are called to walk with purpose and listen to and notice things that may not at first be apparent. We have to allow the One who has special claim on our soul to enlighten, instruct and inspire us! The incarnate Mystery of God is pulsating in and through all of creation, which is where the presence of the Word who became flesh can be discovered. He has been with us all along. How could we have missed him? We can become too preoccupied with ourselves and forget which kingdom is the one to which we must give our allegiance. We forget that we travel a road whose destiny ends here but whose end is in eternity. Sometimes, our slowness to understand is intentional as we struggle with whether it is our will or God’s will that is supposed to be done. We allow all of the busyness to rob us of the silence needed to simply “be” and understand.
There is something mystically, simply, majestically, and profoundly beautiful and centering about the Eucharist. There is a presence discovered there in the simplicity of some of God’s most basic gifts: flour, water, and fruit. It’s almost so simple that we find it hard to believe. Wouldn’t God want to make a grander and more spectacular entrance into our lives? God choses to walk as we walk, beside us and with us, feeling as we feel. It is an incredible moment of connection when we “take and eat,” becoming one with all of our brothers and sisters and one with our God, who is our Emmanuel (God with us). There as we take and eat our eyes are opened as we stand before the cross and death, the grave and life. It is there where not with words or thoughts but with the profound language of our souls we give voice to our faith that God is here and all is well. The eyes of our hearts are lifted high above the cross, beyond the tensions and tragedies of life. And, for a moment it all makes sense, we see clearly, and all is well. We must rest, and learn to see with the eyes of our souls.
In listening deeply to the enlightenment that comes from the Word made flesh and the written word of Sacred Scripture and the nourishment and encounter that is discovered in the Eucharist, we become more like Christ. In becoming more like Christ, we gain confidence and are able to walk through whatever life brings with head held high. Our traveling companions of faith, hope, and love are with us.
—Fr. Mark Suslenko
PRAYER
My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me and
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself and the fact that I think
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.
Amen.
--Thomas Merton
When we are walking through life with our heads held high, spunk in our step and eyes twinkling bright with glances to heaven, all is right with the world, it is easier to see God’s hand. God’s glory dances in myriad ways around us and the hand of His loving presence holds ours as we exhale songs of praise. When life’s disappointments, challenges, and difficulties are in recession and the warmth of joy’s rays are shining on our face, it is easier to see God’s love and guidance. Everything is in sync. But, when sorrow, failure, disappointment, and fear weigh us down, our eyes are fixed downward, and we walk through life looking downcast. We carry heavy burdens. We see not what is above but what is below and easily tire from the sacks we carry. It is harder to see God’s love when we are hurting and feeling betrayed or abandoned. Finding meaning in life’s ugliness can be an arduous task indeed. We need a discerning eye.
Is God a real Being or simply an idea that we entertain? Often, we reduce God to a set of ideas, rules, expectations, theories, and principles and neglect seeing him as a Real Presence who walks with us. What are we expecting God to do? If we are expecting God to rearrange and fix the disjointed and broken furniture of our lives, then we may end up very disappointed. Even the disciples on the Road of Emmaus suffered from this myopic shortsightedness. They were expecting Jesus to put Israel back together, save it from the Romans and redeem it! That’s what they were hoping for! Instead, he was killed, and they were seemingly left alone with all of their broken furniture. Their misconceived expectations blinded them to what was really going on. We lose our sight, too. Our hope gets displaced.
God’s Word wonderfully keeps it all in balance. It holds together life and death, suffering and healing, grace and sin, joy and despair, justice and injustice, and faith and doubt. The Word, who was with God from the beginning bursts forth into the Word made flesh with creative love, sustaining and creating all things for all times and in all ages. The Word, captured in the pages of Scripture, is the only thing that can interpret our lives and help us find the presence of God. The Word alone helps us lift our eyes from what is below and fix them on what is above regardless of time and circumstance. It is the Word who helps us walk with purpose and determination reminding us how foolish we are not to believe all that has gone before us. We need to trust that our companions in faith, whose lives of fidelity and witness abound in Sacred Scripture, are here to help us and interpret all that is happening.
We are called to walk with purpose and listen to and notice things that may not at first be apparent. We have to allow the One who has special claim on our soul to enlighten, instruct and inspire us! The incarnate Mystery of God is pulsating in and through all of creation, which is where the presence of the Word who became flesh can be discovered. He has been with us all along. How could we have missed him? We can become too preoccupied with ourselves and forget which kingdom is the one to which we must give our allegiance. We forget that we travel a road whose destiny ends here but whose end is in eternity. Sometimes, our slowness to understand is intentional as we struggle with whether it is our will or God’s will that is supposed to be done. We allow all of the busyness to rob us of the silence needed to simply “be” and understand.
There is something mystically, simply, majestically, and profoundly beautiful and centering about the Eucharist. There is a presence discovered there in the simplicity of some of God’s most basic gifts: flour, water, and fruit. It’s almost so simple that we find it hard to believe. Wouldn’t God want to make a grander and more spectacular entrance into our lives? God choses to walk as we walk, beside us and with us, feeling as we feel. It is an incredible moment of connection when we “take and eat,” becoming one with all of our brothers and sisters and one with our God, who is our Emmanuel (God with us). There as we take and eat our eyes are opened as we stand before the cross and death, the grave and life. It is there where not with words or thoughts but with the profound language of our souls we give voice to our faith that God is here and all is well. The eyes of our hearts are lifted high above the cross, beyond the tensions and tragedies of life. And, for a moment it all makes sense, we see clearly, and all is well. We must rest, and learn to see with the eyes of our souls.
In listening deeply to the enlightenment that comes from the Word made flesh and the written word of Sacred Scripture and the nourishment and encounter that is discovered in the Eucharist, we become more like Christ. In becoming more like Christ, we gain confidence and are able to walk through whatever life brings with head held high. Our traveling companions of faith, hope, and love are with us.
—Fr. Mark Suslenko
PRAYER
My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me and
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself and the fact that I think
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.
Amen.
--Thomas Merton
An Interview with Author, Speaker, Business Owner, and Family Business Expert: Bill Yoh
“It was something I had never experienced before and I thank God that my eyes were opened.”
In today’s interview, author, speaker and business owner Bill Yoh dives deep into his life story, especially one special trip to Nicaragua…an adventure that taught him the most important lessons of his life.
From his conversion to Catholicism to his experiences with business, get ready to discover the true riches of wisdom that Bill discovered along the way.
Watch now—you’ll learn to recognize what matters most as you explore the possibilities that God has planned for your life.
Bill Yoh is a devoted family man, Catholic convert, and award-winning author. Bill has decades of experience in business as a chairman of Yoh and co-owner of Day & Zimmermann. His unique experiences give him cutting-edge insight into the world of family business, faith, and leadership.
In his conversation with Matthew Kelly, Bill Yoh discusses:
Watch Now
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjNwIg1i8CM&list=PLgCGT7nNXGY72BwrPRbyYHqdqty6Rzv78&index=3
“It was something I had never experienced before and I thank God that my eyes were opened.”
In today’s interview, author, speaker and business owner Bill Yoh dives deep into his life story, especially one special trip to Nicaragua…an adventure that taught him the most important lessons of his life.
From his conversion to Catholicism to his experiences with business, get ready to discover the true riches of wisdom that Bill discovered along the way.
Watch now—you’ll learn to recognize what matters most as you explore the possibilities that God has planned for your life.
Bill Yoh is a devoted family man, Catholic convert, and award-winning author. Bill has decades of experience in business as a chairman of Yoh and co-owner of Day & Zimmermann. His unique experiences give him cutting-edge insight into the world of family business, faith, and leadership.
In his conversation with Matthew Kelly, Bill Yoh discusses:
- The value of failure
- What it truly means to be rich
- Advice for anyone considering Catholicism
Watch Now
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjNwIg1i8CM&list=PLgCGT7nNXGY72BwrPRbyYHqdqty6Rzv78&index=3
Share the Good News
As Catholics during the Lenten season, we recommit ourselves to prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Catholic Leadership Institute's data shows that a minimal percentage of parishioners find their parish to be a source of opportunities for spiritual growth and service. Is this the experience of your parishoners? Your parish's DMI data can be a tool to help you adjust your practices based on your parishoners' spiritual needs. This Lent, let us take time to recommit ourselves to providing a place for the love of God and service of others to take root in hearts and grow.
25% of respondents strongly agree that their parish helps them develop a personal prayer life that connects them with God.
36% of respondents strongly agree that their parish provides opportunities to serve those in need.
47% of respondents volunteered to serve a member of the community on a regular basis.
The USCCB’s National Synthesis noted that “the People of God long for a true communion that can only begin through Christ as we know him in the Eucharist” (7).
You can help strengthen your parish’s spiritual practices this Lent by making data-driven decisions.
As Catholics during the Lenten season, we recommit ourselves to prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Catholic Leadership Institute's data shows that a minimal percentage of parishioners find their parish to be a source of opportunities for spiritual growth and service. Is this the experience of your parishoners? Your parish's DMI data can be a tool to help you adjust your practices based on your parishoners' spiritual needs. This Lent, let us take time to recommit ourselves to providing a place for the love of God and service of others to take root in hearts and grow.
25% of respondents strongly agree that their parish helps them develop a personal prayer life that connects them with God.
36% of respondents strongly agree that their parish provides opportunities to serve those in need.
47% of respondents volunteered to serve a member of the community on a regular basis.
The USCCB’s National Synthesis noted that “the People of God long for a true communion that can only begin through Christ as we know him in the Eucharist” (7).
You can help strengthen your parish’s spiritual practices this Lent by making data-driven decisions.