Assembly 3417 *** St. Peter the Apostle *** Boerne, Texas

February 2019 NEWSLETTER

Happy Valentines Day to You and Your Family FAITHFUL NAVIGATOR’S CORNER St. Valentine of

Saint Valentine, officially known as Valentine of Rome, is a My faithful brothers Sir third-century Roman saint widely celebrated on February 14 and Knights; commonly associated with "courtly ." In place of my usual brief Although not much of St. Valentine's life is reliably known, and message, I found this article whether or not the stories involve two different by the same about St. Valentine – so I name is also not officially decided, it is highly agreed that St. printed it in full. Valentine was martyred and then buried on the Via Flaminia to the north of Rome. During this happy holiday of flowers and candy and gifts, In 1969, the Roman removed St. Valentine from the don’t forget to show your , because so little is known about him. real love for your spouse, However, the church still recognizes him as a saint, listing him in the significant other and family February 14 spot of Roman Martyrolgy. with big hugs. The legends attributed to the mysterious saint are as inconsistent as We are blessed with loving the actual identification of the man. families. Let’s make sure One common story about St. Valentine is that in one point of his they know how much we life, as the former of , Narnia and Amelia, he was on love and appreciate them. house arrest with Judge Asterius. While discussing religion and faith with the Judge, Valentine pledged the validity of . The judge immediately put Valentine and his faith to the test. Vivat Jesus, SK Rey Salinas Faithful Navigator St. Valentine was presented with the judge's blind daughter and 361-537-5756 (cell) told to restore her sight. If he succeeded, the judge vowed to do anything for Valentine. Placing his hands onto her eyes, Valentine restored the child's vision. Judge Asterius was humbled and obeyed Valentine's requests. Asterius broke all the idols around his house, fasted for three days and became baptized, along with his family and entire 44 member household. The now faithful judge then freed all of his Christian inmates.

St. Valentine was later arrested again for continuing to try to convert people to . He was sent to Rome under the emperor (Claudius II). According to the popular hagiographical identity, and what is believed to be the first representation of St. Valentine, the , St. Valentine was a Roman martyred during Claudius' reign. The story tells that St. Valentine was imprisoned for marrying Christian couples and aiding being persecuted by Claudius in Rome. Both acts were considered serious crimes. A relationship between the saint and emperor began to grow, until Valentine attempted to convince Claudius of Christianity. Claudius became raged and sentenced Valentine to death, commanding him to renounce his faith or be beaten with clubs and beheaded. St. Valentine refused to renounce his faith and Christianity and was executed outside the Flaminian Gate on February 14, 269. However, other tales of St. Valentine's life claim he was executed either in the year 269, 270, 273 or 280. Other depictions of St. Valentine's arrests tell that he secretly married couples so husbands wouldn't have to go to war. Another variation of the legend of St. Valentine says he refused to sacrifice to pagan gods, was imprisoned and while imprisoned he healed the jailer's blind daughter. On the day of his execution, he left the girl a note signed, "Your Valentine." Julius I is said to have built a church near Ponte Mole in his memory, which for a long time gave name to the gate now called Porta del Popolo, formerly, Porta Valetini. The romantic nature of Valentine's Day may have derived during the Middle Ages, when it was believed that birds paired couples in mid-February. According to English 18th-century antiquarians Alban Butler and Francis Douce, Valentine's Day was most likely created to overpower the pagan holiday, . Although the exact origin of the holiday is not widely agreed upon, it is widely recognized as a day for love, devotion and . Whoever he was, Valentine did really exist, because archaeologists have unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to St. Valentine. In 496 AD Pope Gelasius marked February 14th as a celebration in honor of his martyrdom.

Monsignor’s Message – SK Msgr. Peter Flood

We are about to enjoy four more weeks of Ordinary Time in February. The joyful season of Christmas has ended and Lent has not yet begun. The question is how we should enjoy this Ordinary Time? One answer is that we use all gifts we received from the Lord during Christmas Season. If we do indeed appreciate those gifts, then we might also have the good grace to use them to improve our lives and the lives of our family and all the people around us. The enjoyed use of the Lord’s gifts is to receive them exactly as they were intended, as a gracious enhancement to our lives. If we seize upon our lives by living them as richly and intensely and fully as our energy allows, then in this rightful use of the Lord’s gifts we are enjoying our life to the fullest.

Sir Knights in the News This month I want to not only acknowledge but congratulate SK Stanley Jones. For 115 years his family has operated the Bergheim General store and now a new chapter both for Stanley, his wife Charlene and the store will be written as the store will be sold and Stanley will finally retire. For those of you that did not attend the January meeting you missed a great tribute that was done by KENS5 news that was shown after the meeting. Stanley is an unassuming guy that quietly supports our parish with several ministries and is always ready to serve (no pun intended) when it comes to activities in the Cana Ballroom . Thank you Stanley for what you do and best wishes as you move forward in a fresh direction.

The Work of the Knights The Fourth Degree Brick Fund When we hear the financial statement each month, we receive the balances in a variety of special funds that we hold for purposes other than general operations of our Assembly. One such fund, The Brick Fund, might slip past you without a thought about its purpose. Let me remind you that, as the Patriotic Degree of the Knights of Columbus, our Assembly determined several years ago (at the urging of SK Jim Ulm) that it would be fitting to honor selected deceased Knights who served distinguished careers in the military. As you reflect on the lives of past Knights who served this country in difficult times, perhaps suffering through the difficult experience of combat and possibly wounded in action, consider if they are deserving of a commemorative brick in Veterans Plaza across from St. Peter’s. If you have questions or wish to discuss a candidate for us to honor with a Brick, talk with Edmund Guerrero or Gregg Muenster. They will give you the details and the process to submit a candidate for consideration. We honor all military veterans, but especially those who served above and beyond the call of duty.

CONGRATULATIONS Birthdays Anniversaries R. Polasek Thomas D. & Dorothy Mueth Rev. Msgr. Peter P. Flood Jim & Heidi Abshire Glenn R. Wendel Andrew H. Wilburn Cory M. Rayburg Deacon Paul M. Rayburg R. Brell Philip Tait Bailey J. Young

HOLY HUMOR FROM THE FAITHFUL NAVIGATOR

In Honor of Super Bowl Football this month, we recall some famous football anecdotes: “ The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely to be the one who dropped it.” Lou Holtz, Arkansas/Notre Dame “When you win, nothing hurts.” Joe Namath, Alabama “I never graduated from Iowa. I was only there for two terms – Truman’s and Eisenhower’s.” Alex Karras, Iowa “I asked Darrell Royal, coach of the Texas Longhorns, why he didn’t recruit me.” He said “Well Walt, we took a look at you, and you weren’t any good.” Walt Garrison, Oklahoma State “We didn’t tackle well today, but we made up for it by not blocking either.” John McKay, USC “I’ve found that prayers work best when you have big players.” Knute Rockne, Notre Dame

Knights of Columbus Assembly 3417 website http://kofcknights.org/Assembly.asp?A=3417 Please click this link to see all the news and events of our Assembly, to refer to the 2018-2019 budget, and to update your personal profile. This is an important tool for you to stay informed about the work of your brother Sir Knights and opportunities for you to be involved. Faith in Action Programs – A New Model for a New Era In order to earn the Columbian Award, councils must conduct programs from each program category. Our Sir Knights Assembly is committed to being involved in our Faith in Action, with our Council partners, focused on spiritual reflection (faith), consecration to the Holy Family (family), helping hands (community) and Novena for Life (life). Please look for these events on the calendar and plan to participate. St. Peter the Apostle Council 10940 and Assembly 3417 have participated in the following recommended programs from Supreme: Coats for Kids, Global Wheelchair Mission, Free Throw Competition, March for Life, Monthly for the end of abortion, Hill Country Pregnancy Center Mobile Sonogram purchase, Family of the Year, monthly Holy Hour adoration and many other programs demonstrating our faith and commitment to the Catholic Church and our parish family. Our Knights exemplify the spirit and faith that Christ wants us to practice in our daily lives. Please join us in our work.

Faith, Family, Community and Life Did you know? 1 in 4 of today’s 20-year-olds will be disabled before they turn 67. Are you prepared for the future? Is your family prepared for the future? Visit with our Field Agent, Bill Wearden (210.413.1736) Knights of Columbus Insurance

Unity, Fraternity, Charity and Patriotism