Acts 1: 12-14,  1Peter 4: 13-16,  John 17: 1-11a 

Knowing God in a way that brings us to eternal life is no casual acquaintance, but  and intimate loving friendship. When we know someone as a close friend, we know their likes and dislikes, character and personality.  God knows us intimately. He knows are hearts, minds, desires and intent. He desires, ‘thirsts’, for us to know him intimately, and makes himself known to those created in his image.

In the first reading today from the Acts of the Apostles, after Jesus’s Ascension, the disciples went to the upper room to devote themselves to prayer.  In Peter’s Epistle, he encourages the community to rejoice in persecution - suffering for our faith, and privileged to suffer with Christ. In their suffering, they will glorify God. In John’s Gospel, Jesus, nearing the end of his earthly life, prays for his followers who remain in the world.

Processional: Hail the Day that sees Him Rise 

Communion: O Sacrament most Holy

Recessional: America the Beautiful

Last week we celebrated Jo Schilling returning home from a month in the hospital in FL. This week, her husband Max is hospitalized with pneumonia on the Covid floor.  Today Jo updated me and Max has tested negative for Covid, so is moving to another wing. However he is not out of danger. He is on a ventilator and is depressed.  Let us pray for his healing and peace.

Lamar Buckner had his surgery Tuesday and the doctors are very pleased.  Lamar is in considerable pain - but sincerely grateful for our prayers.

David Drake - heart surgery and recuperation.

Terry McKnight - continued healing.

All who have tested positive for the Coronavirus, for their complete healing. 

For the curbing and control of the virus, and the healing of our country.

Rita and Larry Casey - continued healing; Thanksgiving for their progress, and Larry will serve this Sunday. 

Marriage banns: Ada Thomas and Parker Bradshaw, August 1st;  Sara Zaremba and Jeff Crosbie, October 10.

All married couples - that they may know God’s love for them through their marriage. 

Bruce and Stephanie Miller - continued prayer

Son of Gerry and Jim Klein - Covid-19

Julie Fields, sfo - fractured wrist - healing and peace. 

Andrew - son of Deacon Dennis and Cathy Arcand, sfo - suffering from injuries he suffered in a motorcycle accident.

Fr. Jim’s Friend: Fr. Vincent Bui - Covid-19

All first responders - Pray for grace for their endurance, health and safety.

Jordan Spalding - continued recuperation at home.

Adam Chester - continued healing: physical, emotional and financial.

Joe and Tonya Steele - discernment

Our entire St. Francis community - continued health and growth in holiness.

All those on our parish prayer list.

Patty Lamontagne - financial - and safety as she returns to work.

Safety for all Americans as they begin returning to work and public gathering.

Nicole and Mike Knotts move from Nebraska back to Georgia, and healing for their infant daughter of intestinal problems since birth who is being admitted to a children’s hospital in Chattanooga. 

Isaiah - Daniel & Wanda Fiumono’s granson: Thanksgiving for progress and prognosis for healing - continued prayers 

Virgil - Complete healing of heart procedure.

Sean - healing from Covid 19.

Robert- healing for serious skin cancer. May be inoperable.

Bella, 3-year-old, hospitalized - dangerously low levels of protein and iron.

For all the private petitions kept silent in our hearts

All our beloved servicemen who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our liberty and the hope of  generations to come, we pray to the Lord.

We thank you, Lord, for hearing all our petitions. Please answer them according to Your will and our need. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.

My Jesus, I believe that You are in the Blessed Sacrament. 

I love You above all things, and I long for You in my soul. 

Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my     heart. 

As though You have already come, I embrace You and unite myself entirely to You; never permit me to be separated from You.

Come Lord Jesus, Amen.

Congratulations College Graduates! I will recognize all graduates by name next week and honoring them at Pentecost.  I have a list of about 5 or 6 college grads; please let us know if there is one in your family.  They are a little harder to verify than high school grads.

Belated congratulations to Mike Crews’s high school graduation from Fannin Co. High School.  Mike served with his sister Brooke and brother, and older sister Savanah served as a lector. God bless you Mike, we wish you best of everything in all your future pursuits.

Note: The Crews family is a health care family. They are all serving the health needs of Georgians in need.  Savanah is a nurse now like Mom, serving on the ‘front lines’;  Mike Senior is an EMT.  Brook-Ann and Christian are still studying.

Let’s offer a special prayer for the Crews family and to all the health professionals in our community and everywhere, for their heroic gift to us.

Louise Koschler, will continue to be our point person for all things Food Pantry.

She will alert us when supplies are needed,  and we will be sure to announce the need to the community. Thank you Louise.

Much appreciation to the department heads’ input in the budget. This is an ongoing process for the next two weeks so if you have input, there is still time to give it.

Congratulations to Dan and Patty Raymond who won the pitcher and bowl raffle for the KOC drive for the "40 cans in 40 days" 1,278 lbs. of food collected.  Thanks to brother Knight Rex Garrison for administering this drive.

Pat Williams and Todd Smith have agreed to lead the discussions of our Security Team to advise the parish in our security needs going forward.

Thanks to all who continue to give their input into the festival question. From the discussion I have had so far, I can count on one hand the number of our community who are hopeful about our hosting the festival this year.  These comments keep coming.  Always interested in your input.

This weekend will be the last streamed only Mass at St. Francis. We will continue to stream Sunday Masses until at least June 28 along with the dispensation of Mass attendance in person. We continue to zoom parish activities. Parishioners have expressed a real appreciation for these prayer opportunities.

Monday, May 25, we will have our first Mass gathering.  Limit 100. See yesterday’s flocknote on Reopening Details - these are not suggestions.

Please check your temperature before leaving home and don’t forget your mask. If you have a temperature please stay home and attend when the fever breaks. Similarly with coughs, sneezing, etc. Please pay attention to the ushers who will guide you in and out of the church, and Holy Communion.

In this business it seems we never stop giving thanks. We thank all those ushers who are going the extra mile for all of us. There are several who volunteered to help disinfect the church after Masses.  Special thanks to our teens.

Another practical way to love one another!

When you do return to church you will notice work is being done removing trees both near the walkway from the lower parking lot to church.  This is in preparation for the walkway upgrade - now completed. The tree removal on the hill behind the church will help us save the back yard. The drainage will be repaired also to divert water into the creek were it belongs. This is also helpful in preventing constant dampness on that side of the church. Imagine: being able to use the back yard.

OR Garage workday   Look for an announcement for the garage workday coming in early June. We need to empty and organize the garage, preparing it for SFO and KOC storage.  Thanks in advance for your help!

Now that our Celebrant will offer Mass on the other side of the altar - we need to fix the glare problem.

Light window tinting the windows behind the altar will eliminate the glare and 95% of the heat - which can be considerable. Not to worry, we will still see our beautiful mountains. We did the same thing to in Marian Hall on the windows on the west side of the Hall. Some may remember the glare and heat at first. Same idea.

Also, installing a camera just above Station #1 will eliminate the reported streaming difficulties. This camera will have the capability of zooming in and out, and moving left and right focusing on altar, ambo, etc. Who knows how long we will need to stream Masses?  These are not high cost items installed.

Keep the memorial of our fallen servicemen in your prayers especially this weekend.

Thank you for all your support, encouragement, and ideas! See you at Mass.

+God bless you all,

DJP