Bless This Day
This day is full of beauty and adventure, help me Lord to be fully alive to it all. During this day, may I become a more thoughtful person, a more prayerful person, a more generous person, and kindly person. Help me not to be turned in on myself but to be sensitive and helpful to others. Let me do nothing today that will hurt anyone, but let me help at least a little, to make life more pleasant to those I meet.
When night comes may I look back on this day without regrets; and may nobody be unhappy because of anything I have said or done or failed to do. Lord God bless this for me and all of us. Make it a day in which we grow a little more like Your Son and gentle as Mary His Mother.
Dear Parishioners,
As I type this final bulletin letter I have nothing but joy in my heart for my time here as your pastor and spiritual father. For 4222 days I have been blessed to shepherd this family of faith and come to know so many faithful people. It is not without its sorrow, we all want good things to continue, we want good people to remain in our active lives but life on this side of Redemption is always filled with change. We are a pilgrim people, and pilgrims are always in route to a final destination.
Just because we are pilgrims does not mean that we don’t build community, we don’t form bonds of family, friendship and community. The bonds of communion are essential preparation for our final destination (provided we let grace & mercy bring us home). These little brushes with communion prepare us for the communion that is eternal and the home that is lasting. Thank you all for the blessing you have been in my life and priesthood.
I had no idea what this assignment was going be like when I was asked to accept it on December 5th of 2011. It was an unexpected call and change but I accepted it as a gift from God. For 2 and 1/2 years Mom & I were blessed to live in our little house by the side of the road and I was blessed to continue living there for the next 9 years. Getting to know our parish family and local New Melle community has enriched my life much more than I ever imagined back in the newness of 2012. I was always hopeful, and trusted in God, but one never knows what the future holds and our imagination as a adults is often tempted to prepare for the worst rather than hope for the best. The antidote to that temptation is trust, trust that the same God who blessed us in the past is going to bless us in the future. He is never not with us. He is called Emmanuel for a reason, and we need but open our eyes a little and awaken our slumbering hearts to catch His humble movements in our lives. I have been so blessed countless times to catch Jesus passing by in the moments in my life and in so many of your lives. God is good. God loves us. God is present to us. That message is there everyday in those subtle brushes of faith. It is ok to weep in the moment at changes and losses, but my tears are so small compared to the joy God has given to me at Immaculate Heart of Mary and with this parish family. It is good for us to be here. Thank you for making this one of the happiest times of my priesthood.
Love,
Fr. Tom
Today marks the three hundred and thirtieth birthday of the Frenchman François-Marie Arouet, better known by his nom de plume, Voltaire (1694-1778).
Born into a bourgeois family during the reign of Louis XIV, the “Sun King” (r. 1643-1715), Voltaire suffered tragedy at a young age when his mother died. Never close with his father or brother, Voltaire exhibited a rebellious attitude toward authority from his youth. His brilliant mind was fostered in the care of the Society of Jesus, who introduced him to the joys of literature and theater. Despite his later criticisms against the Church, Voltaire, throughout his life, fondly recalled his dedicated Jesuit teachers.
Although he spent time as a civil servant in the French embassy to the Hague, Voltaire’s main love was writing—an endeavor where he excelled in various genres, including poetry, which led to his appointment as the royal court poet for King Louis XV. Widely recognized as one of the greatest French writers, and even hyperbolically referred to by ...
Padre - Tom Miller invites you to a Coffee Talk, Speakeasies, Schmoozes, Tea Times, Afterhours and other gatherings.
https://teams.live.com/meet/93792382189049?p=DiBHsYfuECPgDrG7vO
2026 Coffee Talk with the ADD Irregulars
Thursday, January 1, 2026
6:00 AM - 8:00 AM (CST)
Occurs every day starting 1/1 until 12/31/2027
Coffee Talk - Daily beginning at 6:00 AM Central Time Zone - USA
White Pilled Wednesday - A break from the heaviness of news and current events to focus upon things more personal & positive for the first hour of Coffee Talk.
Afternoon Chats - Most Tuesday, Friday & Sundays 2:00 PM Central
Other chats as posted in the community.
