Faith on a Kite String Two sticks put together as crosspieces provide a kite’s structure.

Add a diamond-shaped sail of paper or thin fabric, attach a big ball of string and a rag tail, and it’s ready to go.

The Ascension of the Lord comes at a time of year when springtime wind invites kite flying. With a kite aloft as more and more string unwinds, we can easily imagine the Disciples gazing upward as Jesus made His journey heavenward, becoming smaller and smaller in their sight.

Much had happened in just a few weeks between the Crucifixion and the Lord’s Ascension to heaven. Like the sticks that come together as the first step in building a kite, the Cross had to come before the events of the Easter season.

Imagine the happiness when friends saw the Risen Lord! He really knew how to put the wind back in their sails. Surely, they wanted to hold on to Him and never let go.

Then came the Ascension. Like reaching the end of a kite’s ball of string and having it slip from their hands, they saw Jesus rising toward the heavens. Gazing up into the sky until the Lord disappeared from view, they had lost their grasp on Him. Then two men in white appeared and asked them why they continued to stare at the sky. Jesus would return!

On Pentecost, the Disciples heard what sounded like wind. The Holy Spirit appeared as tongues of fire resting upon each of them. Then bystanders who had gathered in Jerusalem from many nations heard in their own tongues what a ragtag group of Galileans chosen by Jesus said to them.

Heart of the Nation depends on donations to continue spreading the Word of God. Like the tail of a kite that prevents it from spinning and plummeting, each gift and especially monthly pledges provide stability in the ministry that we share.

Running with a kite, we feel the pull of the wind. The Holy Spirit remains with us, inviting us not to just stand there, but to soar in love and faith.

Faith As Close As Your TV

Monthly Bulletin May 2018

Fr. Mark PayneChaplain

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

Mother’s Day& Father’s Day

Spiritual Bouquet

MASS TIME UPDATESSunday TV Mass has moved to

new times on two channels:SAN ANTONIO, TX

8 a.m. on KMYS ch. 35 (CW)

KANSAS CITY, MO7 a.m. on KMCI ch. 38

(“The Spot”)

NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYERThursday, May 3

Please join in prayer while reflecting on St. Paul’s advice to the Ephesians to strive for “unity of the spirit through the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3).

Rose petals rain down from the top of the dome of the ancient Roman Pantheon. The custom likely began in the seventh century.

Pope Boniface IV consecrated the Pantheon as a Catholic church dedicated to Mary and martyrs of the faith. He also proclaimed an annual springtime celebration of all saints. Rose petals falling from church ceilings looked like drops of martyrs’ blood.

When All Saints became a holy day of obligation, the date changed to November. A spectacular shower of rose petals now occurs in the Pantheon on Pentecost instead, with the resurrected custom as a symbol of the Holy Spirit appearing as tongues of fire.

The Pantheon’s dome, an enduring feat of ancient architecture, has an oculus—a round opening like an eye—at the top. People can look toward the oculus and remember that our Heavenly Father always keeps a loving eye on us. After Mass on Pentecost Sunday, rose petals flowing through the oculus remind the faithful to remain open to the Holy Spirit.

Scripture tells of the wondrous coming

of the Spirit on Pentecost, enabling the Apostles to preach so that listeners of different nationalities understood the words in their own languages. Sometimes, we struggle to make sense of the Word of God. We want to ask God why things happen or how He could allow the difficulties we face to befall us. Recognizing the Holy Spirit

becomes challenging when life’s not exactly a bed of roses.

Sound like a driving wind inside the house, followed by the appearance of licks of fire, would get our attention. Often, though, the Holy Spirit comes as gently as soft rose petals fluttering in the Pantheon.

Above the marble floors of that ancient church, the nearly 30-foot expanse of the oculus is always open. Sunlight illuminates grandeur. The ancient builders included floor drains, but rain comes in, too.

Jesus came to lay the foundation for our faith, and the Spirit helps us through the times that we feel deluged. Pentecost concludes the Easter season. Celebrate because our Savior sent the Holy Spirit to remain with us after Jesus lived among us, died, and rose!

Fr. Tony ScannellChaplain

A Wondrous Part of LoveSaint Paul explained that people have different gifts and different

ways of serving the Lord (1 Cor. 12). The Holy Spirit manifested in each person makes a difference in the world.

“In a culture that encourages self-reliance, we believe in working together,” explained Fr. Mark Payne, chaplain for Heart of the Nation. “God doesn’t want us to try to go it alone. Instead, He made each of us part of the one Body of Christ.”

In celebration of Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, please send the names of beloved parents, grandparents, and others who have reflected the parental love of the heavenly Father to you. By making a donation or pledge in honor of these special people in your life, you will share their love with all who depend on Heart of the Nation’s ministry.

When Life’s Not Quite a Bed of Roses “The Mass is so inspiring. I can only access online, but that’s OK. I love it.”

~J.H.

“While I was in rehab, I was so very happy to be able to see your Mass. It just made my day to start the day with Jesus and a spiritual Holy Communion.”

~Lenora

“The Prayer & Worship Guide helps me stay grounded and focus through the week.”

~Daniel

Mother Millar and the BoysJesus sent His disciples “into the whole world.” During May, when we celebrate

both Mother’s Day and Memorial Day, a mother named Margaret Millar provides an example of high-spirited discipleship among soldiers and sailors in the war that could not end all wars.

As a young widow in the late 1800’s, Margaret took her three children to Europe, where they attended Catholic schools in France and then Germany. Although raised as a Congregationalist, Margaret converted to Catholicism. Years later, returning stateside to Baltimore, the family found a friend in Archbishop James Cardinal Gibbons.

The U.S. entered World War I in 1917. Catholic Bishops formed the National Catholic War Council and tapped Margaret to organize clubs abroad where American military personnel on short leave could rejuvenate. By that time, one of Margaret’s sons was preparing for priesthood. Another worked for the press. Her daughter had a family of her own.

In a report on her wartime work, Margaret described the club that she supervised in Paris. The club provided breakfasts, evening soup or cocoa, cigarettes and cigars, candy, and stationery. Visitors read magazines or books from a small library and played games. Impromptu and planned music resounded. “The boys” themselves described the club as home. A letter that Margaret later received said that the boys loved her as a mother.

On Pentecost, we pray the Sequence Veni, Sancte Spiritus (Come, Holy Spirit), asking the Spirit to shine from the “celestial home” of heaven to bring refreshment, sweet rest, and renewed strength. Letting the Holy Spirit shine from within us, we can welcome people and invite them to feel at home in our presence.

In the Gospel reading on May 30, the traditional date for Memorial Day, Jesus says that He “did not come to be served but to serve.” Please pray for men and women who gave their lives while serving in the military, and for their mothers and others whose love they carried with them.

Memorial Day Prayer

Lord Jesus andBlessed Virgin Mary,On this day, I bring to You my prayerfor all who have lost life orloved ones in war. May their sacrifices have continued meaning;may enduring love sustain those left behind; andmay the desire for peace be saluted with unforgotten gratitude.Amen.

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 envelope, 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

Pamela AliLilia Bacol

Soledad V. BascaoKaren Bath

Diavonna BellMartha Beseda

Angeline BoruckBonnie Butler

Lori ByrdRita Carter

Mr. & Mrs. Richard ClubbMarsha Cosen

Mariela Del ValleJohn DiGirolamo

Mr. & Mrs. Norbert Dirkman

Dianna DisabatinoKathryn Embree

Brian FayMrs. Jeanette Finnegan

Mary E. GadowCandice GarciaAngela Gennaro

Janice GillenLois Hansen

Mrs. Terry HartPatricia Hedberg

Mr. & Mrs. Charles HeimerlMarina A. Herrera

James HilkerGladys Holley

Margaret HudakJudi Huesers

Sherri JacksonJanet Jarmuz BamfordJack and Rose Jenkins

Bryan JohnsonRuth JohnsonEvelyn Jones

Dorothy M. JordanLeonard A. Kenderes

Roy H. KipkePatricia Kurowski

Barbara LorioCheryl MarnerisMary MartinezGrace M. MayerMarian Moran

Maureen MueilloCarl Neeb

Margaret Newman

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!

Victoria PajaEd R. PestingerEarl J. PrescottLouise Ramirez

Cary Rego-AlvarezAlfred Rodriguez

Mr. & Mrs. Richard RossiEllen Sawchak

Karen SchinabeckMarina Sison

Arthur L. SopkoHelen Stevenson

Mr. & Mrs. Wiley SullivanS. and G. Tarasewicz

Barbara WaltersBobbie J. White

A Mother’s PrayerLord God, our Creator, please bless me with the creativity to nurture my children in their wondrous individuality.Loving God, please help me give to my children sureness that they are loved in each new step they take.Eternal God, knowing all things, please give me openness to Your Holy Spirit and steadfast faith when I don’t know quite what to do.

Heavenly Father, with joy in Your beloved Son, please favor me with joy-filled grace to delight in my children in a special way when they are parents, too. Amen.