There are so many reasons why people do not go to reconciliation and to be honest I have yet to hear a good reason why someone does not go regularly. In general, I recommend that for a practicing Catholic adult, going once a month is an indication of a well-ordered spiritual life. The minimum is once a year, but you can and should go more often than that. But in general, it can be helpful to get into the regular practice of making a good confession and being aware of those areas of sin within our lives. It also ensures that you are not trying to live the life of holiness without the grace of the sacraments. 

When we receive the forgiveness of all sins, we are restored and experience a deepening of our relationship with God, and we receive the graces that we need to live that life of holiness that God has called us to. And generally, after confession I find myself to be a more pleasant person to be around, and I am sure that you are too! 

Now the best confessions are the ones that begin before you step into the confessional. Doing an examination of conscience at the end of our day can be so helpful in general for our spiritual lives because it helps us track our progress and helps us live a life of intentionality. That helps us when we do our examination before we head into the confessional because we are already aware of those things that we need to bring with us to confession. It also helps the other people waiting in the confessional line when you have prepared adequately before you get into the confessional. 

Remember that when you confess your sins you should name both the number and kind of sins. If you cannot remember the exact number, then an approximation or general frequency will suffice. When it comes to naming the kind make sure to be specific enough so that the priest understands what you are confessing. I like to use the example that you should not confess that you stole your neighbor's rope and fail to mention that it had a cow attached to it. At the same time, we do not need to hear the story of how you did it or the various irrelevant details like what color the cow was. Simply just name the sin for what it is and if Father needs to ask for more details he certainly will do so. 

Another common error while going to confession is confessing the sins of other people or justifying your own actions based off of the behavior of others. The sacraments are received on an individual basis, and you are only responsible for your own soul when you go to confession so don’t worry about anyone else. It is a moment where we are gracefully honest with our God and can recall that the Lord is both kind and merciful to us. 

Lastly, I want to remind everyone that if you cannot make our normal confession times or need to make an appointment for a longer confession, to please do so. We are more than happy to make the accommodation and rejoice with our Lord when you return to the Lord through the sacrament of Reconciliation. 

In Christ our hope, 

Fr. Jacob Toma 

All men of St. Michael's Parish are invited to attend a Knights of Columbus meeting and see what we’re all about. You might find an old friend—or make new ones—among our members, who range in age from 24 to 80.  With 13 active members, we work together on Catholic projects that benefit our parish and the community. Come discover how you can be part of this mission of faith, service, and fellowship. We meet on the first Tuesday of each month at 6:30 PM in the St. Michael's rectory basement. Refreshments are provided after the meeting.  We’d love to see you there! Feel free to contact Al Robins at 218-260-0399 with any questions.  

St. Michael's is looking for volunteers to assist with funeral luncheons, helping to provide a warm and welcoming space for grieving families. Your support in setting up, serving, or cleaning up would be greatly appreciated and make a meaningful difference. If you would like to be a volunteer, please contact Sharene at 218-525-1902. 

Parish men are invited to the Kostka Society Meeting Thursday January 23rd at 7 pm in the St. Mary Star of the Sea church social hall.

Thank you to all who donated $$ for Laundry Love (supporting laundry services for homeless and low-income persons and families ) this past December.  On 12/17, volunteers (Mary Ann, Sue, Kathy, and Mary) served 31 people (representing 84 individuals including family members).  We funded 84 loads, washed and dried, at a cost of $617.  Donations also appreciated of dryer sheets.  Cash or check donations (checks now can be made out to St Michael's/memo line Laundry Love) can be dropped off in the church collection or office.  We are now collecting funds for January 21st, our next service date. laundrylove.org

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the incredible volunteers who made our Christmas tree and wreath sale a record-breaking success, with total profit reaching $6,925! Your time, energy, and dedication are deeply appreciated. A special thank you goes to Foster Trucking for generously providing their truck and driver for tree pickup—your support made a big difference. We also want to thank our wonderful parishioners for purchasing trees and wreaths and for spreading the word through referrals. Additionally, we are deeply grateful to Father Seth for his unwavering support and to Sharene for her invaluable assistance. Your contributions have made this event truly special!  

-Mark Wilhelmson and George Schaenzer

SMA is seeking to hire a 2nd grade teacher, kitchen manager, and long-term subs for spring maternity leaves. If you or someone you know might be interested in a rewarding career at SMA please visit the below link for more details about each opening: www.stellamaris.academy/employment 

Join us for our early childhood and kindergarten open houses this week!  Visit the classrooms, meet our teachers, and take a tour of our campuses. Children are welcome and dinner will be available!

RSVP at www.stellamaris.academy/openhousersvp

SMA is looking for a head coach for our girl’s softball team made up of 7th -11th grade players. Our team will be competing in their 4th season and is eager to continue to develop this program as either a JV or varsity team. This is a paid coaching position and more info can be found at www.stellamaris.academy/employment 

Communion and Liberation is a movement for the ongoing education in the Catholic faith. Our formation doesn’t end at a certain age, but lasts a lifetime because it is always being renewed and deepened. The same is true in the experience of love, of artistic creativity, and even in the simplicity of everyday life. The search for what is true, beautiful, good, and for happiness is never-ending. We may find this in community with one another, continually learning and experiencing the life our Lord has given to us as a beautiful gift. In Communion & Liberation we deepen our faith through “School of Community,” in which we study and meditate on texts written by Father Luigi Giussani and other associates. Ultimately we view our Christian faith not only as training for life, but as an adventure of life. Locally we meet in Duluth on Sunday evenings, with occasional gatherings in between. Additionally, we participate in one monthly charitable work project. Explore Communion and Liberation further at https://english.clonline.org/cl, and please consider joining us in this wonderful, blessed journey! Contact our local facilitator wfvouk@gmail.com for more information. 

Please join the Duluth Serra Ministry in praying for our January Seminarian of the Month, Ben Sundlie. Ben is in his second year of Discipleship at St. John Vianney Seminary. His home parish is Our Lady of the Lakes in Pine River. 

The Duluth, MN Catholic Schoolhouse Chapter invites you to our Open House on February 20th. Catholic Schoolhouse is a homeschool community that encourages "Homeschool Success Through a Classical Approach". Join us to observe class leaders leading our scholars through memory work, art and science projects, and chat with fellow homeschooling families.  Please email duluthmn@catholicschoolhouse.com for more information.