Dear Brother Knights,

In July, over 50,000 Catholics gathered together in Indianapolis for a National Eucharistic Congress. The attendees came together for talks, fellowship, the celebration of Mass, and prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.

The Eucharistic Congress was, in part, the culmination of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, where Catholics across the country adored Jesus present in the Holy Eucharist in a manner that has never taken place in our nation’s history. The Eucharist, made visible in the monstrance (a metal vessel used to “show” the Eucharist) was processed by foot, van, and boat from the north, south, east, and west, beginning in San Francisco, Lake Itasca, Minn., New Haven Conn., and Brownsville, Tex. and arriving in Indianapolis for the Eucharistic Congress.

What a great witness this was to the faith and a reminder of the presence of Jesus in our midst. The word Mass comes from the Latin word missa meaning, “sent.” If a Mass were to be celebrated in the Latin, the words of dismissal are “Ite, Missa est,” which is translated literally as “Go, it is sent.” In the 13th Century, St. Thomas Aquinas commented on these words of dismissal saying, “And from this the Mass derives its name … the deacon on festival days ‘dismisses’ the people at the end of the Mass, by saying: ‘Ite, missa est,’ that is, the victim [Jesus] has been sent to God through the angel, so that it may be accepted by God.”

St. Thomas describes the heart of what the Mass is all about: the re-presentation Christ’s offering of himself to the Heavenly Father. And then this gift of Christ to the Father pours forth to the Church in the reception of Holy Communion. Christ offers himself as a sacrifice to the Father, and in doing so he also offers himself to the Church in giving us his very body and blood.

Thus, the dismissal at the end of Mass is not an ending but a beginning. Catholics who attend Mass have asked for forgiveness of their sins, listened to the Word of God, reflected upon its impact on their lives through the homily, entered into the redemptive work of Jesus, and received him in the Eucharist. Actively participating in the mystery of the Mass changes the hearts of Catholics. It necessarily moves us into mission. So, the dismissal at Mass is not just a declaration that it’s over and it’s time to go home, but a call to take the fruits of this Mass to be missionary disciples.

As thousands of Catholics processed across the country and took our Lord to the streets, it’s a reminder for all of us as Catholics to bring Jesus wherever we may find ourselves.

May God bless you and your families.

Sincerely in Christ,

Father Nicholas Kipper

Dear Brother Knights,

I hope that you have all had a blessed Easter season. This is a time of such joy, even in the world that is a vale of tears with all of its concerns and tribulations. We long for the resurrection of the dead, where we will enjoy the presence and love of God for all eternity. But, of course, we know as Catholics that we can enjoy the presence of God right now. This found in Christ’s real presence in the Eucharist.

In his encyclical letter on the Eucharist, Ecclesia de eucharistia, St. Pope John Paul II spoke of the great gift of Eucharist. He wrote: “ The Church has received the Eucharist from Christ her Lord not as one gift – however precious – among so many others, but as the gift par excellence, for it is the gift of himself, of his person in his sacred humanity, as well as the gift of his saving work.”

What our Lord offers us is his very self. In this time of Eucharistic Revival in the Church of the United States, let us make it a point to have a greater reverence, love and understanding of Christ’s presence in the Eucharist. And in doing so, encounter him in his total gift of self.

Sincerely in Christ,

Father Nicholas Kipper

Dear Brother Knights,

He is risen! Alleluia!

Easter is the greatest celebration in the Church because it is the greatest event in the history of the world. The fact that Jesus resurrected from the dead changes everything. Our greatest fear, our death, has been put to death by Jesus. Through Jesus’ resurrection, God has power over death, and that’s what gives us so much hope.

Jesus gives hints of his power over death throughout the gospel. We see this, for instance, in the raising of his friend Lazarus from the dead. He tells Lazarus’s sister, Martha: “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.”

In Jesus, these are not mere words. These are not just platitudes to make Martha feel better. They are truth, and he proves that they’re true because he then raises Lazarus from the dead. May we follow Jesus with all our hearts as his faithful disciples, carrying us, too, into eternal life.

May God bless you and your families with a blessed Easter season.

Sincerely in Christ,

Father Nicholas Kipper

Brother Knights,

As a lifelong baseball fan, there’s always a news report that is music to my ears: “pitchers and catchers report to spring training.” In the midst of the cold winter, the occasional snow showers and just some of the wintertime blues that we might feel, these are welcome words. Springtime is coming; they will be playing baseball soon.

Lent by analogy could be compared to spring training. Professional baseball players usually don’t have much of an actual offseason. They are usually training on their own during this time. Oftentimes, they are working with personal coaches.

But, with spring training, they come together as a team, working hard, making sacrifices together for the good of the team. They are willing to go through some hardships for a good result.

It’s good for us to see that the season of Lent is a communal activity—and that should strengthen us. Throughout the year, we should find times to both feast and fast. The Church directs us to offer some kind of sacrifice during every Friday of the year—not just during Lent. Outside of the season of Lent, we can still choose to abstain from meat, or we may choose some other kind of sacrifice. Unless, of course, the Church is celebrating a solemnity—a high feast like the Immaculate Conception, Christmas, or the Feast of the St. Joseph. These feasts should be celebrated with great joy.

The point is that outside of these Friday penances, our sacrifices are up to us individually. In the season of Lent, we do this together. Lent should not make us cringe when we think about it. It’s all about being closer to Jesus, being a better disciple. And being a disciple takes discipline.

Perhaps there are some pitchers and catchers in spring training right now who wish that they had eaten less junk food in the offseason, and went out on a few more jogs. As Christians entering into Lent, maybe we wish we had cracked open our Bible and reflected on the Word of God more often; maybe we have had the intention to pray more often, but haven’t pushed ourselves to find the time. Maybe this Lent is a time where we can show our Gospel demand to love of neighbors in a more concrete way.

But, the greatest thing that keeps us from Jesus is sin. And we are all tempted in some way. Temptation is something that we do battle against every day. It arises from the world, the flesh and the devil (in other words, it comes from the outside and within us)

In the middle of the season, a baseball hitter would probably not think about completely changing his swing, or pitcher his throwing motion, but in spring training he might. Lent is a great time to take a look at what our great temptations are. Which of the seven deadly sins do I struggle with the most? Identify those things, and ask the Holy Spirit to open up your hearts to be healed.

Fr. Kipper

Brother Knights,

A few years ago, I was enrolled in a Master’s program through the Catholic University of America which was focused on teaching business principles for parish life, including: budgeting, accounting, fundraising and crisis management. And one class was in strategic planning and operational management.

In the class we learned about how to conduct a strategic plan for a parish or diocese. I was finishing this class as Lent approached, and it occurred to me that we can make Lent something like a strategic plan for our lives. Strategic plans are used in businesses, schools and churches.

Anyone who has been involved in a strategic planning process knows that the first and most important part of it is the mission statement. This might sound strange for those who read mission statements because they are often terribly boring and saying almost nothing.

But think about how fundamentally important mission is for any organization. A mission distinguishes what an organization is. When an organization knows who they are, then they can start talking about what they do. A strategic plan can, then, lay out objectives for what they will do. They will set goals and measure those goals.

I was taught that an organization should have a new strategic plan about every 3 years.
Well, we are blessed as Catholics to have Lent once a year. And we can start with questions like: Who am I? What’s my mission? How do I live that out? What are my goals in life of discipleship.

I offer you some ideas to think about this plan for your life. We believe that God has called us to an eternal, intimate relationship with him, and that our deepest longings are achieved by God’s love working through me. Our whole lives are about growing in the virtues of faith, hope and charity.

Lent is a perfect time to reflect on this plan that began at our baptism and see what needs to change. The word Lent means “spring.” It’s a fitting description because the Spring is about growth. The grass becomes green again, flowers bloom, things become more beautiful.

This is a good way to direct our Lent. It’s a personal springtime. But, we don’t often think of Lent in this way. We may think of it as a torture chamber, or going on Catholic diet for 40 days, then back to the old ways.

Perhaps this is where it’s helpful for us to think about Lent as a strategic plan for my life. We look at the big picture of our relationships with God. Obviously, we are all in different places. We are at different parts of our journey. And so in this upcoming season of Lent, we ask the Lord to give us a sense of personal mission and the grace to know how we might carry out that mission.

Sincerely in Christ,
Father Kipper