April 15th Men’s Religious Retreat
GOOD NEWS IS GOOD
DEACON MIKE PIEHLER LEADS KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS RETREAT
The Regina Coeli Council of the Knights of Columbus hosted on April 15 at Casa Domenico in Sherwood a “Day of Reflection”/religious retreat themed by the retreat leader Deacon Mike Piehler “Where is the Good News?”
For the 21 men of faith who participated that day, the Good News was right there -- powerful, insightful, and thought-provoking, and all thanks to Deacon Piehler and the Knights.
Deacon Piehler came in from Palm Springs, CA to lead the retreat. He has been in the ministry of the Catholic Church for more than 50 years in addition to being a highly successful businessman (he owned 15 car dealerships in upstate New York) and former teacher and football coach.
“Pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance,” he urged, “and take into your heart the reassuring acceptance of Christ. It calms you; it heals you; it makes life simpler.”
Among other highlights:
Our Brand Names and Our Logo – Our brand names are not Apple, Microsoft, and Nike. Our brand names are the Names of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit… and our logo is the Cross.
Step One – You have to admit that you need God. You need God. You accept Him into your life and ask Him to guide all things that you do.
Stop Digging – When you find yourself in a hole, stop digging. That is the first step. Stop doing what you are doing that is so destructive. Destructive to your marriage, to your family, to your job and your finances. You know it’s destructive. You know it’s a sin. Stop doing it. Before things get worse.
The Three B’s – Long ago, my father used to talk to my brothers and me about the three B’s – booze, babes, and bookies. “These can bring you down, cost you everything,” he said. Today, we can update this to substance abuse (alcohol and drugs), marriage infidelity (by men and by women), and finances (spending and gambling).
A Wealthy Man – Relatedly, my father told us, “You’re wealthy if you live within your means.” Don’t spend what you don’t have. Show restraint, discipline. Money problems are the number-one destroyer of marriages.
Climb the Ladder? – Where is the Good News? The burden has been lifted, you don’t have to climb the ladder to reach God, He’s already here. Once you accept Him, He’s already here, in all things, in all that you do. God reaches out to you; you don’t have to reach out to Him. And you have that freedom. You choose to do what you do for your wife, your family, and your job and it is not as a burden, not as a responsibility “imposed” upon us – poor, pitiful me. No longer a “burden” because we choose to do what we do for God and in God’s Name -- because we want to.
The Good News of the Risen Christ – We visit Good Friday, but we live in Easter where we have the good news that Christ is risen. It means victory over sin and death.
On Discipline and Pain – There are two kinds of pain, and they are either caused by self-discipline, or by the lack of self-discipline. Self-discipline is short-term pain for long-term gain – you lose 30 pounds to regain better health. Lack of self-discipline is you gain 50 pounds because you give up, you just don’t care, you surrender to depression and sin. Have self-discipline. Be strong. Ask for God’s help. Resist temptation. This is critically important to meaningful love and a successful marriage.
Strength – In Christ, we are strong, independent, and invulnerable. In sin and despair, we are weak, dependent, and vulnerable.
Maturity – Maturity is dealing with the pain of self-denial. Resisting temptation. Knowing we need God’s help. Asking for it. And then resisting temptation.
The Sanctity of Life – No institution on earth stands for the Sanctity of Life from conception to natural death like the Catholic Church… and many people hate us for that.
Christ in the Mass – Christ is in the Mass four-fold: (1) in the Priest; (2) in the Eucharist; (3) in the Word (the Gospel); and (4) in the People.
Two more upcoming Regina Coeli Council religious retreats are scheduled in Sherwood: a July 22 women’s retreat and a September 2 men’s retreat.
For more information on the Knights of Columbus and its program of action, and/or to inquire about joining the Regina Coeli Council, please contact Mark de Bernardo at markanthony5359@gmail.com or 703/244-8810.
“For where two or three have gathered together in My Name, I am there in their midst.”
Matthew 18:20
Some additional words from Deacon Mike Piehler from our Knights of Columbus religious retreat in April.
The following points, made by Deacon Mike at our “Day of Reflection” religious retreat on “Where is the Good News?” are, I believe, worth considering again and reflecting on. I did not include them in the article for the church bulletin which I sent to you earlier: (1) for the sake of brevity (or relative brevity) and readability; (2) because they were the longest and more complex quotes and perhaps needed the context of the verbal presentation; and (3) in the case of the first point, for the sake of discretion regarding the broader congregation as a whole.
The Three B’s – Long ago, my father used to talk to my brothers and me about the three B’s – booze, babes, and bookies. “These can bring you down, cost you everything,” he said. Today, we can update this to substance abuse (alcohol and drugs), marriage infidelity (by men and by women), and finances (spending and gambling).
Climb the Ladder? – Where is the Good News? The burden has been lifted, you don’t have to climb the ladder to reach God, He’s already here. Once you accept Him, He’s already here, in all things, in all that you do. God reaches out to you; you don’t have to reach out to Him. And you have that freedom. You choose to do what you do for your wife, your family, and your job and it is not as a burden, not as a responsibility “imposed” upon us – poor, pitiful me. No longer a “burden” because we choose to do what we do for God and in God’s Name -- because we want to.
On Discipline and Pain – There are two kinds of pain, and they are either caused by self-discipline, or by the lack of self-discipline. Self-discipline is short-term pain for long-term gain – you lose 30 pounds to regain better health. Lack of self-discipline is you gain 50 pounds because you give up, you just don’t care, you surrender to depression and sin. Have self-discipline. Be strong. Ask for God’s help. Resist temptation. This is critically important to meaningful love and a successful marriage.
“Thou shalt love thy neighbor as Thyself.”
Matthew 22:39
