The Knightly News – Council 11091
From the Grand Knight’s Desk
My Worthy Brother Knights!
We often think of spring as the time of new beginnings. Grass becomes green again. Flowers bloom again. The cycle starts anew for another year. But it’s not spring, so why am I mentioning it?
August is also a time of transition and new beginnings. Many of us have kids going back to school. Some have recently graduated from one phase of their education and are transitioning into the next phase. Some are entering into a new year at college. Some have completed their formal education and are getting jobs and transitioning from student to employee. The air is ripe with possibilities, opportunities, and often times more than a little anxiety.
We have been blessed with one of the best summers in years. Many of us have been especially blessed. One of us built a new house. One of us bought his first house. Some of us took epic vacations and created memories which will last a lifetime. These are all blessings. Graduation parties. Camping. Grilling on the patio. Cookouts and bonfires with friends. Day trips. Movies in the sunroom. Life brings many compensations, large and small. Our enjoyment this summer needs not be measured solely on how much we were able to spend, rather on how we made do with what we had.
I’ve come to appreciate the little things in life. Many are the nights this summer I have relaxed on my patio, soaking in God’s handiwork, marveling at the beauty around me. The fading sun casting its final rays on the sparkling leaves of the immense trees that form a spectacular perimeter of life all around me. The squirrels, gathering nuts, jumping from tree to tree, their aerial acrobatics as impressive as any circus. The doe with her two fawns crossing the creek near my backyard, ushering her charges to their bedding for the night, safe and sound for another day. The planes, marked by their contrails, arcing across the sky, bringing people together, toward countless opportunities.
“Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God’s handwriting.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Must all good things come to an end?
The end of the carefree summer season has many benefits. Sports fans get to enjoy the MLB playoff scramble (excepting our local teams). August also means the start of football season, college and pro. Everyone’s team is undefeated. Optimism fills the air. Maybe the Bears will finally get past the Packers and win the division. Maybe the Packers will go on another magical run and bring home their 14th NFL Championship. The anticipation is palpable. However, rarely does everything go according to plan. Life is nothing if not unpredictable. And when faced with setbacks in life, be it illness, job loss, death of a loved one, financial hardship, or personal loss, one can do many things. We can be the victim, give up, and crawl into a deep hole. We can blame ourselves or even blame others for our situation.
Or we can take the setback and use it as an opportunity to become better. A better worker. A better father. A better husband. A better Catholic. No matter what life throws at you, I believe the best course is to ask yourself how this can help you grow as a person, for the betterment of mankind and for all of God’s kingdom. We recently ended the Capital Campaign, which sought to eliminate the parish debt, and provide funds for the Diocesan pledge and for improvements and repairs on the parish grounds. Many of our brother Knights are part of the Leadership Team responsible for this effort. Thank you to all who contributed time, talent, treasure, and prayers to this worthy cause. I look forward to transitioning into the Centennial Celebration of our parish. Our parish community has a lot to celebrate.
One final point of business before the end of this letter. This Thursday, our council will discuss a possible resolution to the “Keep Christ in Christmas” contention, which most, if not all of you, are aware. Special thanks go out to Jerry Ahler and Mark Ostrowski for personally tending to this matter and making an important trip to Michigan for a mediation. We are at a point where we could either resolve the conflict very soon, or propel this into formal legal proceedings, which could result in years of litigation. Our attorneys are tops in the field, and have been representing us at no cost. This has been a blessing beyond anything we could have hoped for. God is on our side, and our efforts are noble and just. I believe we are living the principal of the First Degree, Charity, with our “Keep Christ in Christmas” program. Please come to the meeting Thursday at 7:30pm, and help us decide our path in this matter.
And a reminder to all golfers…
If you like to golf, this is your last chance to register for the Hammer Open, set for August 17 at the Golf Club of IL. This golf outing raises a considerable amount of money for several charities. If you are on the fence, now is the time to make your decision.
Vivat Jesus!
Dan Limbach, Grand Knight
