Bishop James P. Powers presided at the Fall Conference Mass on Oct. 25 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Rice Lake. He was joined by Fr. Adam Laski, right, and a number of other priests serving in the diocese. (Catholic Herald photo by Anita Draper)

Anita Draper
Catholic Herald staff

“How wonderful, how good it is that we come to delight in the Lord,” Bishop James P. Powers affirmed in his homily at the Mass for the Diocese of Superior’s Fall Conference on Friday, Oct. 25, at St. Joseph in Rice Lake.

“What a delight it is to be here with everybody,” he said in his opening remarks, emphasizing the joy in God and in Catholic community, bolstered by the Eucharist, that would characterize the day’s message.

“Delight in the Lord,” the theme of this year’s conference, speaks both to our joy as Christians and the challenges of secular culture, Director of Evangelization and Missionary Discipleship Chris Hurtubise said in welcoming attendees to the annual gathering of clergy, educators, catechists and parish staff members.

Hundreds attended Fall Conference, which started with a 9 a.m. Mass and included two keynote addresses given by Dr. Ryan Hanning, a homesteading theology professor from Tennessee, as well as two afternoon breakout sessions focused on changes in education and understanding Catholicism. Dr. Hanning’s keynote topics ranged from the purpose of Catholic education to building habits for lasting happiness; he also taught a breakout session on engaging parents in the process of educating their children.

Hurtubise and Peggy Schoenfuss, superintendent of diocesan schools and director of Catholic Formation, took turns emceeing the event.

Bishop Powers presided at the Mass; in his homily he explained why the day’s Gospel reading from John 14, typically used for funerals, was chosen for a joy-themed Mass.

“If we really stop and think about it, what greater Gospel passage could we really have?” he asked rhetorically.

In it, Jesus has gathered his disciples and is comforting them for the last time before going to his death. “Do not let your hearts be troubled,” he tells them. The Gospel, also used during the Easter season, is Jesus’ moment to reassure them to have faith in him and in God.

“Those beautiful words of Jesus, ‘I am the way, the truth and the life,’” the Bishop commented, “without knowing who Jesus is, what do those words mean? … How long does it take us, with all the best of efforts, to know Jesus is the way, the truth and the life?”

How important it is to teach “not only our little ones, but each other,” he observed. “Coming to know Jesus is a lifelong journey. The only time it’s finished is when that funeral is being celebrated.”

Having suffered some recent personal losses, Bishop Powers added, “How different that funeral is if the family is a family of faith. A family who knows who the Lord is. A family that knows and feels and rejoices in the joy of the Lord. And in all those many gifts that he has given us, the good times and the bad.”

For a number of years now, the diocese has been working on the evangelization process, he continued, emphasizing the importance of knowing who Jesus is, so he can be shared with others.

“If we have no idea who Jesus is, we can say all the right words, but they are going to be hollow, they are going to be empty, and they are going to be lacking that joy, that delight that Jesus wants for us. Our God created us for joy in his presence, both in this world and the world to come.”

Culturally, many forces try to suck that joy out of us, he said. So many messages try to tell us that’s not where our true happiness can be found, and “sadly, some of those false promises sounds so good, and they may be for a short time,” but such happiness is fleeting.

Jesus prepares a place for us, Bishop Powers said, but through our baptism, he has also prepared a place in us for him. By offering us his body, blood, soul and divinity through the Eucharist, he makes us a temple ourselves.

“Unless we are in touch with that ourselves, how can we teach someone that that bread is no longer bread, but is our body, blood, soul and divinity, and that wine is no longer wine, but is his blood?” he added. “Outside the eyes of faith, outside the truth of our God, it makes no sense whatsoever. Just like it makes no sense that our God created us simply for love, loved us so much that he sent his son to die for us.

“Our God’s love, again, is infinite. All we have to do is accept it. All we have to do is to believe,” the bishop continued, urging listeners to see God not only in the huge things, but in the little things, “little joys, little struggles.”

“The only thing our God created us for is happiness,” he concluded. “Happiness in this world, happiness and his presence in the world to come. Let us pray in thanksgiving for all the many gifts our God gives us. And pray, let us be happy here and in the hereafter.”