Dedicated to a life of service

January 30, 2024

After five years of training, parishioners Mike Heubel and Alonso Rigg were ordained as permanent deacons on Feb. 3. They are committed to continue answering God’s calling in their lives.

Dedicated to a life of service

New deacons share their devotion to faith and community

St. Ann has the extraordinary privilege of welcoming two longtime parishioners into into the community of clergy this month. Mike Heubel and Alonso Rigg (pictured) were ordained as permanent deacons this weekend at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Atlanta.

As with all vocations, many years of discernment and formation went into the decision and preparation
for this special position. Both Heubel and Rigg, who have been parishioners for 25 years, mentioned the consistent support of their families as inspiration and strength for them during the past five years.

On answering the call to vocation:
MH: My call took some time. It started with a simple invitation to consider becoming a deacon about 12 years ago. After prayer, some very frank discussions, and a lot of me saying “no way,” about six years ago, I could no longer say no to God’s call. It was the most freeing moment of my life.

AR: [It was] an attraction over many years to serve God and his people with all that I have been given by his grace. The call from God is to serve, experience the joy of walking in the light of Christ, and share the great need that we have to hear and follow Jesus.

How can we be open to God’s call in our lives?

MH: The rewards of discerning God’s calling for each of us are beyond anything this world has to offer. They provide the peace in our hearts we all are seeking, and the world cannot provide.

AR: Listen, listen like Samuel. Trust in God’s grace and just be willing to say yes. God will give you all you need and more. It is a joy.

How can we pray for you as a parish family?
MH: The people of St. Ann have been an amazing source of support and strength during this journey.
As I transition into my new life, please pray for my continued formation and discernment. It is a never- ending process for each of us, and we need to continue to support and lift each other up in prayer.

AR: Please continue to pray that nothing, nothing, separates me from the love of God: hunger, persecution, distress, disappointing results, suffering, honor, etc.

Both deacons thank the parishioners of St. Ann for their continued support and have sincere gratitude for being able to serve our community. Hear words of encouragement and reflection from them as they give the homilies at all Masses next weekend.

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Advent Week Four: Love Filled Hearts

December 21, 2024

Week 4: Love-filled Hearts Luke 1:39-45 If you’ve ever driven into the property at Disney World you think, “We’re almost there!” Then you keep driving and driving and driving and seeing sign after sign. Finally, the destination is in sight. Our persistence and faith have paid off and our hearts are filled with LOVE as we reach our destination. As we move through this last week of Advent, be it a short week, we know the small things we accomplished and the bigger things we’ve planned with LOVE for our future are possible. Let us pray that when we do finally see God face to face, we can repeat the words of Elizabeth heard in our Gospel account today, “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” Morning prayer during the fourth week of Advent Lord, let LOVE fill my life during these last few of days before Christmas. There is so much to do, and so little time left. Let me not ruin this Advent journey with busyness but allow me to realize every moment is an opportunity to share your LOVE. Let me focus on what I am truly celebrating, a gift from God, the birth of a Savior—our Savior. No paper or ribbon or bows are needed to tell me what a wonderful gift this will be. Thank you, Lord. Amen.

Advent Week Three: Joy Filled Hearts

December 14, 2024

Week 3: Joy-filled Hearts Luke 3: 10-18 Whether you have or have had small children, remember the days when we heard, “I’m bored. What should we do ?” In today’s Gospel, we hear that phrase posed to John the Baptist three times, once from the crowd, once from the tax collectors and once from the soldiers. Our lives need meaning. There is no JOY in life without a purpose. No purpose leads to boredom. So how do we get purpose? How do we introduce JOY in our lives? We all know when we are doing things we love to do, we are happy, we have JOY. So, John says stop the things you’re doing that hurt others and yourself. Start appreciating where you are and where you’re going. That leads to a life of expectation and JOY. So, when the question arises, “What should we do,” have a JOY-filled answer of “Here’s what I did!” Morning prayer during the third week of Advent Good morning, Lord. My heart is filled with JOY today because despite the material world around me filled with negativity, conflict, greed, power and political correctness, I choose liberating JOY. I choose to look at the positive things in my life. Lord, let me, with your guidance, be able to pause, deeply breathe and say: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit exalts in God, my Savior. For he has looked with mercy on my lowliness and my name will be forever exalted. For the mighty God has done great things for me and his mercy will reach from age to age. And holy, holy, holy is his name.

Advent Week Two: Peace Filled Hearts

December 7, 2024

Week 2: Peace-filled Hearts Luke 3: 1-6 Again, the gospel calls us to the hard work of preparing ourselves and the world to receive God’s love and peace. We are reminded of the second coming of Christ and the need to be prepared. Yet, we must be reminded that God is love brings us PEACE and he wants nothing more than to share his PEACE with us, the children he loves. Luke tells us that God promises us PEACE when we travel with him. Vacation planning is always interesting. Should we go by plane or by car? How long should we stay? Do we have to see the relatives this time? And so on. One question, however, that always remains is we need to know the destination before we can plan the trip. Without a clear destination, we will never achieve our goal of being with the God of PEACE, the God who desires PEACE in our hearts and in the world and loves us beyond measure. Morning prayer during the second week of Advent Lord, thank you for another day, a day I put my trust in you. I know how you love and desire PEACE in my heart. You will see me through the remaining weeks until Christmas. Help me to keep focused on your PEACE as I stumble through the chores and the gift buying. Remind me this season is about sharing your PEACE and not about me. As I face times of “chaos,” I will turn to you. Your love will bring me PEACE.

Advent Week One: Hope Filled Hearts

November 25, 2024

Week 1: Hope-filled Hearts Luke 21: 25-28, 34-36 It would be easy to gloss over this week’s Gospel. After all, most of us don’t like the “doom and gloom” message we hear. However, the message is very fitting. Advent points us not only to the upcoming feast of Christmas but to the second coming of Christ. Isn’t that what we are living our earthly life for—the HOPE that we will be united to Christ at his second coming. We’ve all been given a limited amount of time on earth. We wish we knew how much time that was, but we don’t. The gospel message is: we always need to be prepared. We always HOPE besides the short-term destination of Christmas, God will give us an Advent season that extends beyond this year to when we will ultimately reside with Him in Heaven. Morning prayer during the first week of Advent Lord, thank for another day, a day that brings me closer to the time we will be together. It’s hard getting up these dark mornings. So, I sit here in silence filled with a sense of HOPE knowing your presence in my life. I am filled with gratitude this day for the gift of your love. Let me carry a sense of how much you love me to others I will meet and let that awareness change the way I treat them not only today but all days. Let me be more reverent in the irritations of the day. I ask your help as I move though my errands and the busyness of this season. Lord, my HOPE is in you. Amen.

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