The Crux of the Matter - June 2026

Mark Rehagen
Jun 1
11 min read

Men, I would like to share some thoughts in this newsletter on the heroic virtue of the saint whose memorial is observed by the Church today, St. Justin Martyr, and then add some thoughts about fatherhood, since later this month there is a day that is traditionally set aside to honor fathers.

St. Justin Martyr was born a pagan in the late first century or early second century, a citizen of the Roman Empire. He trained himself to be a philosopher, but when he heard from a wise man that the thinkings of the secular philosophers were shallow in comparison to the wisdom of the day’s Christian philosophers, he decided to look into Christianity. He was hooked by the wisdom of Christianity and converted, which was dangerous in the Roman Empire since the practice of Christianity was forbidden (until Constantine’s Edict of Milan in 313 AD).

If you ever wonder when the traditions of the Mass that we celebrate today began, fortunately, Justin’s First Apology (this sense of the word “Apology” means a “defense” of the faith) records the earliest traditions of the Mass that had begun in the first century. For me, it is important that the Mass we celebrate today is the Mass that the Apostles would have celebrated–the practice actually instituted by Christ himself at the Last Supper. That we have Justin’s account of the Liturgy is important when we encounter questions about the Mass from non-Catholics. Perhaps many of them do not know that, yes, this has been our practice since the early days of the Church. We cannot, even if we wanted to, change this, but instead should take pride that our practice of our faith does indeed go back to the days immediately following the Last Supper.

Justin’s adoption of the faith did not end well for him, in worldly terms. Read here the exchange between him and the Roman prefect who finally took on the popular Justin, sending Justin to his execution, hence giving him the nickname, “Martyr.” Read more from Joe Heschmeyer about St. Justin Martyr by clicking here.

St. Justin Martyr, pray for us, that we might be courageous when we are questioned about our faith.

The other day I heard a comment made by Gabe to his son Bridger. Bridger had been working on the floor in a dusty workplace, and when Bridger stood up, Gabe made the comment to Bridger, “Your pants are a different color.”

I could just sense that Gabe had heard that comment made to him by his dad, Jude, perhaps many times as he was growing up.

That made me think about the impact that our fathers have had on us, and the impact we have on our children.

I can’t pick up a paint brush, a hammer, or a hand saw and not think about how my dad taught me how to hold and use each of them. When I have a repair to make, whether it be something big or small, I think of how he would have done the repair.

I am so grateful for everything my dad taught me.

But, the most important thing he taught me was the importance of our faith and reliance on God. He didn’t just talk about it–he lived it. It was a rare day when he did not attend 7:00 a.m. Mass at St. Peter’s before going to work–I’m not sure what the excuse would have been for his not going to daily Mass. Just like Bridger and Gabe and Jude, those types of priorities get passed down. Although I was too young to remember my Grandpa Rehagen before he passed away, I do know that my Grandma Rehagen was very devoted to her faith and was in the Church in St. Anthony, Missouri more often than many (it helps that she lived right across the street from the Church). Hmmmmm. Did my dad learn his “more than the minimum” religious practices from his parents?? I’d take that bet.

Men, sometimes we don’t realize that what we are doing and how we are living is making a huge impact on the lives of (our) children. So, the question I ask is this: in whatever we do, do those around us gain a sense from us that our priorities are the joys of heaven more than the happiness of this life (do we know the difference between joy and happiness??)? Would our children and grandchildren easily see that, while we enjoy the goodness that God has given us in this world, our priorities are finding the joy that can only be found in a deep relationship with our Savior, Jesus Christ?

I wanted so much to be like my dad when I was little. Now I have a hard time finding an excuse to not attend daily Mass.

The little things rub off on our children and grandchildren–they are watching our every move, and observing the things we laugh at (what we laugh at will often reveal our priorities).

To those of you who do not have biological children, you might think that none of this applies to you. If so, consider the role of our patron, St. Joseph, who also never had biological children.

St. Joseph’s role was to mentor, to be the father figure for the Son of God. All of us men, regardless of whether we have biological children, are father figures for young people around us–even young people who don’t even know us. Young people watch what adults do, because they look forward to being an adult one day; boys watch what men do, because they look forward to being a man one day. So, the question is, “What kind of a man do they see us portraying?”

So, men, during this month of the celebration of fatherhood, I hope Father’s Day is a happy one for all of you. Young people are watching how you will observe it and will learn your priorities. May the way you observe the day, and the way you live every day, lead those around you to the joys of heaven.

Amen.

Priestly Ordination of Deacon Jacob Hartman This Saturday!!

Men, speaking of the joys of heaven, I love to write about ordinations to the Priesthood. An ordination is a celebration here on earth without comparison.

Why? Speaking once again about fatherhood, we will celebrate a man who will turn his entire life over to serving Jesus Christ. He will be a spiritual father to everyone around him–Catholic and non-Catholic.

What a daunting task! What a tremendous vocation! What a Sacrament to take pride in and celebrate.

I hope that you, as a man, take pride in someone stepping to the plate (Deacon Hartman did play baseball in his youth) and attempting to be a father figure for all who see him in his Roman collar (including our children and grandchildren!). Wearing a Roman collar means that, in some respects, he has a target on his back.

Everyone in the Diocese is invited to the Ordination Mass at the Cathedral on Saturday, June 6, at 10:00 a.m. We here in the mid-Missouri area have it so easy to attend these special occasions at the Cathedral. I hope you can attend the Ordination Mass this Saturday.

I have offered to the Diocese the help of the Men of Signum Crucis on the ordination day. The Diocese has responded that they could use help with greeters before the Mass (9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.) and light clean-up of Cana Hall after the reception (1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.). All slots are nearly full, but if you are able to help at either role, please contact me at 573-680-2520 and I will get your name added to the list.

May God bless soon-to-be Father Jacob Hartman in his fatherly duties as a priest of the Diocese of Jefferson City.

Reasons for Hope (Part VI)

Men, I have been sharing with you reasons for hope in the last five issues of this newsletter. More and more events occur, or I hear of inspiring stories of our youth, that give me reasons for hope for our Church.

This past semester I was honored to facilitate a Discipleship Group at Helias before the school day. There were seven juniors in the group. They approached me toward the end of the school year asking me to facilitate again next year, and wanted to work immediately to schedule the day of the week that would work for all seven men. They developed a plan to attend daily Mass at least once each week if their summer work schedules permit it–awesome leadership from these young men.

Then, right after the summer began, two former students from Helias who have just completed their first year at Mizzou, stopped by the house. This past weekend we got together for ice cream. Both are committed to our faith–it is great to see them grow in their faith while in college.

Then, I recently had a conversation with a leader in the FOCUS program, who told me about the impact of FOCUS on a young man who returned to the faith while at college and has subsequently entered the seminary. Watch here to see the story of this young man.

I continue to believe that more and more of our young people do seek the Truth of our faith–we might not always see it happening, which is why I like to share these stories with you. It gives me confidence that the Church of the future is in good hands. But, our work is not done, men. We need to be good fathers to continue to lead others to the Truth of the faith (see my opening remarks above).

By the way, for those who are wondering about Levi Frisbie, our presenter in March, FOCUS has placed Levi at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville to work with university students there for the next two years. I hope you will join me in praying for Levi as he begins his important work in Maryville.

“Hope does not disappoint” (Romans 5:5).

Set your calendars now for the 4^th Annual “Heart of a Hero”

Men’s Conference–April 2-3, 2027

Weekly Mass Schedule at the Jefferson City Parishes

It is the Eucharist that brings us the joy that we should long for. Consider inserting one or two of these daily Mass options into your schedule:

Monday: 7:00a at Immaculate Conception