Dear Friends in Christ,
Here are a few updates from the parish for the week of March 14, 2021.
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1) Taize Prayer Service - Tuesday, March 16 and Tuesday, March 30 at 7:00 PM |
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2) Confession Schedule during Lent: To assist you on your Lenten journey, we are expanding the number of confession opportunities. Beginning this week and through Holy Week, we will be available in the Sr. Carol Center on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8:00 PM and on Wednesdays from 1:00 to 2:30 PM for the celebration of the sacrament of reconciliation.
These will not be reconciliation services as we have done in the past, but opportunities for individual celebrations of the sacrament like what is done on Saturday mornings. Chairs will be lined up in the Gathering Place, and you will wait your turn to celebrate the sacrament with one of the priests. We will, of course, still be available on Saturdays from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
As part of our SERF Vicariate plan, we have two days where most parishes in the SERF Vicariate will have priests available to celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation with you. Those dates are: Thursday, March 25, 2021, from 1:00 to 2:30 PM and from 7:00 to 8:30 PM and then on Monday of Holy Week (March 29, 2021) from 1:00 to 2:30 PM and from 7:00 to 8:30 PM.
Here is a full calendar listing of the above-mentioned dates:
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Tuesday, March 16, 2021..................... 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Wednesday, March 17, 2021................ 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Saturday, March 20, 2021.................... 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Tuesday, March 23, 2021..................... 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Wednesday, March 24, 2021................ 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Thursday, March 25, 2021................... 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Thursday, March 25, 2021................... 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Saturday, March 27, 2021.................... 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Monday, March 29, 2021..................... 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Monday, March 29, 2021..................... 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Tuesday, March 30, 2021..................... 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Wednesday, March 31, 2021................ 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Saturday, April 3, 2021........................ 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
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3) Redemptoris Custos: A three-night retreat on St. Joseph, the “Custodian of the Redeemer” |
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Join us for an online three-night retreat on St. Joseph, the “Custodian of the Redeemer” — hosted by Fr. Steve Pullis on March 16th, 17th & 18th at 7:30 p.m.
The retreat will be streamed live to the Archdiocese of Detroit Facebook and YouTube pages. You don't want to miss out. The links for each night are below.
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4) Regarding the General Dispensation from the Obligation to Attend Mass
Archbishop Vigneron Calls the Faithful Back to Mass Starting March 13 ... with some exceptions. The dispensation remains in place for people in high-risk categories, caregivers and others; masking and capacity rules do not change.
Citing the “essential and central nature of the Eucharistic Sacrifice” in the life of the Church, Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron on Feb. 9 announced the general dispensation from Sunday Mass for Catholics in the Archdiocese of Detroit will expire on March 13.
However, while the general dispensation — which relieves all Catholics in the archdiocese from their moral obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days — is expiring, the archbishop said he will continue to grant “particular dispensations” to those in need, including those who are at high risk of COVID-19.
Others who may continue to be excused from their Sunday obligation include:
- Those who are ill or whose health would be significantly compromised were they to contract a communicable illness;
- Those who care for the sick, homebound or infirmed or someone in a high-risk category;
- Pregnant women;
- Those age 65 or older;
- Those who cannot attend Mass for other reasons (such as a lack of transportation or being turned away because of capacity limits); and
- Those who have “significant fear or anxiety of becoming ill by being at Mass.”
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5) Stimulus Check 3 Gift to SJA: With each of the Stimulus Checks, many in the parish have called inquiring if there was a family that could use the help. The answer is YES ... your parish family!
As was mentioned at the Masses this weekend, yesterday would have been our annual School Gala, the 15th Annual Gala, but it couldn't take place. That annual fundraising nets approximately $100,00 per year. Then given the decline in Sunday offertory and Christmas collections because of the reduced number of people coming to Church, the income we rely on to carry out our many great works has been on the decline. So, we created, and are widely publicizing, the Stimulus Check 3 Gift to SJA. I hope you can be a part of this little project and fundraiser.
I realize not everyone can afford to give part or all of their stimulus check, but to those who can, I would ask that you consider this easy gift to the parish.
Checks can be written to SJA with a memo: Stimulus Check 3 Gift. You can also donate electronically by clicking on the button below.
Thanks for your ongoing and generous support of SJA!
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6) Registration now OPEN for SJA School: If you or someone you know might be interested in sending their child or children to SJA School, please let them know that registration is now open. We have openings in all grade levels.
For over 70 years, St. Joan of Arc School has had a rich tradition of excellence in faith-formation, academics, service, activities, and athletics. Focusing on Jesus Christ and the Gospel message, the school community provides a caring and supportive environment in which every member is valued and encouraged to grow to his/her full potential. Students are equipped with the skills, knowledge, and Catholic vision necessary to become responsible citizens who have a living, growing faith and an understanding of their responsibilities as Christians in today's world.
Among the indicators of SJA quality is our accreditation by the Michigan Nonpublic School Accrediting Agency since 1992. This honor certifies that St. Joan of Arc School meets or exceeds the 14 standards of excellence in staffing, curriculum, services and program effectiveness in meeting the needs of young people. Additionally, SJA School was recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the United States Department of Education.
Extensive technology supports our fine academic program. All classrooms have interactive white boards and access to iPads. All students, K-8, learn varied applications of technology in our computer lab.
Check out our 6-minute Virtual Open House video below. For more information or to register call 586-775-8370 or visit stjoan.net.
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7) Lenten Resources: Lent is an opportunity for each of us to enter into a retreat with the Lord.
As you begin your Lenten journey, here are some resources that you may find helpful (if you have any other resources you think should be on this list please email Msgr. Mike at gmb@sjascs.org):
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8) Hallow App: I am excited to share with you a gift from the parish that will hopefully be useful in your own prayer lives and those of your families.
Hallow is a Catholic prayer and meditation app that helps users deepen their relationship with God through audio-guided contemplative prayer sessions. The app launched 2 years ago and is already the #1 Catholic app in the world.
We have a number of parishioners who are already using the app and loving it. Great for praying alone or together with your spouse/family, Hallow truly has something for everyone, no matter what you are going through (see below for their different content categories).
Hallow is free to download and has tons of permanently free content, as well as a premium subscription, Hallow Plus.
This Lent, we have partnered with the Hallow team to provide Hallow Plus access to all parishioners for FREE through Easter. No credit card required. If you are interested in continuing the PLUS version after Easter, our parish code will get you a 20% discount on a yearly subscription.
To get started, simply click the button above/below to activate your free account on the Hallow website. Make sure to select “Sign Up with Email” when registering. For step-by-step instructions, you can visit this process guide. If, for any reason, your parish code does not automatically apply, you can manually enter the code [stjoanofarcmi] on the subscription screen.
If you run into any issues, simply reach out to Hallow support using the live chat at https://hallow.com or by emailing support@hallow.app.
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9) Fish Fry Finder: The Archdiocese of Detroit recently launched an interactive Friday Fish Fry Finder to help metro Detroit Catholics find a Fish Fry located near them. The site can be found at FishFryFinder.org.
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10) Holy Hour This Week: Please consider joining us for Holy Hour this Thursday (also live-streamed) at 7 PM. This week's Holy Hour will have Praise and Worship Music.
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11) This Sunday's Readings - Sunday March 14, 2021 |
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12) Grow+Go for the Fourth Sunday of Lent: |
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Grow+Go, content is designed to help you understand what it means to be an evangelizing disciple of Christ. Using the Sunday Scriptures as the basis for reflection, Grow+Go offers insight into how we can all more fully GROW as disciples and then GO evangelize, fulfilling Christ's Great Commission to "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 28:19) The concept behind the weekly series is to make discipleship and evangelization simple, concrete, and relatable.
Click on the button or image below to download a PDF copy of this Sunday's Grow+Go.
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13) Sunday Reflection by Jeff Cavins: |
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In this week’s Encountering the Word video for the Fourth Sunday of Lent, Jeff Cavins shares the deeper meaning behind the most ubiquitous verse in Scripture, John 3:16. He explains how this verse is calling us to imitate Christ, especially this Lenten season. |
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14) Giving to SJA: I'm truly grateful for all of your support of SJA during this pandemic. Your support means so much. The increase in electronic giving has been tremendous. Giving electronically, whether on a one-time or recurring basis is pretty simple. For more information on online giving, please click on the following button.
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15) This week's edition of TALLer Tales: |
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Drunken Raisins: A few weeks ago, you may have seen a story in the news about a 105-year-old New Jersey woman who survived a battle with the coronavirus. The story that circulated in media outlets and throughout the internet was pretty cute. Part of the story was about what she credited her long life to, and the other part of the story dealt with what she believed helped her win the COVID-19 battle.
As to the question about what her secret was to long life, she responded, “Prayer, prayer, prayer, AND avoiding junk food.” I have the prayer part down-pat for the most part. The junk food side of the equation is where I would lose the battle!
As to the question about her secret to winning the COVID-19 battle, she accredits her victory to “Drunken Raisins.” She indicated she has eaten nine gin-soaked raisins each morning for most of her life. After hearing the story and people talking about it, I found that the “drunken-raisins” medicinal remedy is more popular than I thought. I did a bit more research after listening to one lector in the sacristry (for the sake of this story, let’s say her name was Ann) provide her testimony as to the efficacy of drunken-raisins in battling arthritis pain. I then started on a quest to learn more about this so-called medicinal remedy.
My research pointed to the fact that you have to use Gordon’s Gin. No other gin will work. You also have to use GOLDEN and only golden raisins. One of the ingredients in Gordon’s Gin is juniper. Supposedly, the juniper berry is often thought to be an essential component of the remedy. With my research complete, I shared the news with my mom, and we set out on a path to gather the necessary ingredients to get some raisins drunk.
A week ago this past Friday, of the many errands on my “Fridays with Mom” day, I made a stop at Kroger’s to gather the necessary supplies. I first picked up a bottle of Gordon’s Gin. With the gin in my hands, I went on a search for raisins. I was amazed at how hard it was to find bulk boxes of raisins; it shows you how often I shop for raisins. I was up and down many aisles before I saw a ceiling sign for raisins. Thankfully, I found big boxes of golden raisins. Now, I had to find the perfect jar. I knew I wanted a Mason jar with one of those locking latches. With my little cart now full of the necessary supplies to get some raisins drunk, I went through check-out and returned to the condo with the required supplies.
Once my mom and I finished our many errands, we returned to my sister’s house. I couldn’t wait to get these raisins drunk. With my mom and nephew watching from the other side of the kitchen counter, I filled the Mason jar with the two big boxes of raisins. I then opened the Gordon’s Gin and started pouring. It took half a bottle to do the trick, but those raisins were now soaking in the gin. I gave it a little stir and was happy with my work. I decided to text a picture of my work to our lector Ann. She immediately responded that I needed to drain off some of the gin; I guess the raisins are supposed to “swim” in the gin … not drown in the gin! With my mom taking a video of my work, I decided to start scooping out some of the gin from the Mason jar and put it back into the gin bottle. I was doing all of this with a spoon, and the pour mechanism still in place on the bottle. Needless to say, I was creating a royal mess. Not only was I getting gin all over the counter, but now the gin was contaminated with raisin juice (the gin started turning cloudy almost immediately as I started pouring the gin from the Mason jar back into the bottle). We shared a few laughs over my delicate work. Knowing that the raisins had to swim in the gin and not drown in it, I wanted to make sure I was creating drunken raisins and not dead raisins. This was tricky work.
It was now time to latch the lid close and wait the prescribed nine days for the raisins to get drunk. Given that the prescribed remedy is that the raisins have to swim in the gin for NINE days, and then you have to eat NINE a day … I think some Catholic conjured this homemade remedy up. After all, I guess they could also be titled “NOVENA” raisins. With the prescribed nine-day swimming period ending this Sunday, it will only be a matter of time before we know if this works … as long as I didn’t accidentally drown those poor little things!
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Halfway through Lent: Believe it or not, folks, but we’ve passed the halfway point of our Lenten Journey. If the realization that Lent is practically half over hasn’t jolted you, the thought that we’ve already started Daylight Savings Time should bring it home too.
As we mark this halfway point on our Lenten journey, we need to ask ourselves the question: How are we doing with our Lenten retreat? What about all of those Lenten resolutions? I am sure many of you have faithfully fulfilled those resolutions. Others may be in my camp where you have fallen a little (or a lot). No matter what side you’re on, this is the time to start anew if needed.
A simple resolution could be to spend more time in prayer. Prayer is such an essential aspect of a Christian’s life. Yet, the busy lives so many of us lead can often pull us away from the good intentions to be people of prayer. The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that “Prayer in the events of each day and each moment is one of the secrets of the kingdom…. It is right and good to pray so that the coming of the kingdom of justice and peace may influence the march of history, but it is just as important to bring the help of prayer into humble, everyday situations; all forms of prayer can be the leaven to which the Lord compares the kingdom (CCC, 2659-2660).”
We need to follow the example of the Lord, who often went off to a deserted place to pray not only before significant decisions in his earthly life but also in the midst of his busy day. If you have 15 minutes, then give those 15 minutes to prayer. If you only have 5 minutes, then give those 5 minutes to prayer. If you have an hour, then, by all means, spend that time in prayer. Your day will be greatly blessed because of your commitment to prayer. Don’t let the activities of the day become an excuse for not spending SOME time … even 10 minutes … with the Lord!
Your prayer could be silent and just sitting in the presence of the Lord. Your prayer could be time spent reflecting on the readings of the day. Your prayer could be listening to sacred music. Prayer ultimately can take on many forms. It doesn’t have to be the same form each time you pray either. It’s just important that you pray!
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Enjoy the week. Know of my prayers.
In Christ,
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16) Tire Tracks in the d’Arc |
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Taizé Services: I am very excited to tell you that this Lent, beginning this week, St. Joan of Arc will be hosting two Taizé evenings of prayer and music. I invite you all to join us.
The Taizé community is a monastic community located in the Burgundy region of east-central France. It was founded in 1940 with the vision of a community combining the traditional monastic order of prayer, work and poverty. Today this small group of brothers living in a remote French village has over 100 Catholic and Protestant monks drawn from 30 countries around the world.
Over the years the community has become a popular destination for spiritual seekers. It is estimated that over 100,000 pilgrims from around the world visit Taizé each year.
Today, Taizé Prayer is the prayer of all Christian denominations. It is a simple, meditative form of worship, calling us to dwell deeply on Christ's presence around and within us. Songs like "Jesus, Remember Me", prayerful silence, and short readings guide the focus of the prayer in a candle-lit environment and allow the worshipper to enter deeply into their own heart and find the beautiful presence of God within. The music of Taizé centers around simple scriptural refrains, repeated over and over, gradually overlaying additional accompaniment while the worshippers continue the simple refrain. It’s the one of the most beautiful and peace-filled forms of music and prayer I have ever encountered. Those present are free to join in singing the refrains, or simply let them soak-in and sit in the company of the Lord.
You may recall some of this music from past Taizé Stations of the Cross at St. Joan. Friday Stations will continue, but I invite you all to come Tuesday, March 16th & March 30th at 7pm, and experience Taizé, especially if you have never been to such a service before. I am always telling people that the Catholic faith has such a rich tradition of prayer and worship. There are so many ways to pray and this is one more that could help to focus your Lenten season all the more. As Catholics we are familiar with the idea of meditating on the mysteries of the rosary or meditating on the Stations of the Cross of Jesus. The beauty of Taizé is that it takes this element of Catholic tradition and places it within a calming environment of music and candle-light and allows us to simply meditate on the presence of God within and around us.
Taizé prayer is a deliberate stripping away of some of the “complications” we can add to our prayer and focuses us on what is most important in prayer - the purpose of prayer - to allow us to connect to the object of our prayer, Jesus Christ. The Taizé community describes this musical form of prayer like this:
“These songs sustain personal prayer. They can continue in the silence of our hearts when we are at work, speaking with others or resting. In this way prayer and daily life are united. They allow us to keep on praying even when we are unaware of it, in the silence of our hearts.”
So come on Tuesdays, March 16th and 30th for an hour of music, scripture, reflection and prayer. See you there!
The Chosen: A couple of weeks ago, we finished-up our 8-week watch-party for the first season of The Chosen. If you have not seen it, I would highly encourage you to seek it out on YouTube or The Chosen app. The series explores the life of Jesus at the beginning of His ministry, as a cast of biblical figures, including Mary Magdalen, Simon Peter, Matthew, Andrew and Nicodemus first encounter Jesus and then one-by-one experience Jesus calling them to join Him and follow Him in His ministry. The series so beautifully weaves together scriptural stories with fictional events, using the imagination of the director to develop the characters and to tell the story of how they are all knitted together in the hidden and mundane moments that scripture does not record. Those parts are purely conjecture, but they allow the viewer to see not only the ordinary humanity of Jesus, but also the very ordinariness of the people Jesus called. We see their struggles and flaws, their doubts and challenges of faith, and we see examples of how Jesus can use those parts of us and still call us to respond. And in their ordinariness, we see ourselves, our struggles, our doubts, and know that none of them need be obstacles to finding Jesus and following Him as a disciple. It’s for those who struggle that He has come; it’s for those needing a Savior that He has come.
We also see how following Him is always a call, but never an obligation - Jesus allows those who choose to stay behind to do so. I think most of us watching the series had moments in which we found ourselves identifying with or being drawn to particular characters. I certainly did. I will avoid the spoiler alert (although it’s in the Bible already!), but one of the characters struggles to the end to accept Jesus’ call and perhaps for me the most wrenching moment of the series was to see this character weeping behind a wall as Jesus prepares to leave town with those who have accepted His invitation. Jesus looks toward this character and says quietly, “You came so close.” What a moment of anguish. There are so many good moments, profound moments and glances between the characters and Jesus. It is so beautifully filmed and scripted and was all funded by donations. There are funny moments, thought–provoking moments, self-revealing moments and so many good one-liners. One line that caught my attention in particular was spoken by Jesus when one of His disciples was questioning His choice of one of the Twelve. The disciple thinks that this situation is so different from his own call by Jesus that it just can’t be a good decision. Jesus’ response is simply “Get used to different.”
In our discussion after the episode, I said that was the best evangelization slogan I’d heard in a while and that would show-up in a homily one day. Little did I know that there were already T-shirts carrying the quote!
I’m looking forward to Season Two, but in the meantime, might Jesus want you to get used to different this Lent? Is there something Jesus wants to help you change? He never stops calling us, and even after we’ve started to follow Him, He continues to call us daily to be His disciples in the ordinariness of our lives. These are the daily moments that no-one recording the story of our lives would think to write-down. But these are the moments that connect us to our more profound encounters with Jesus, and that connect us to each other. If we constantly respond to the daily call to follow Jesus, we will need to “get used to different.”
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You are in my prayers this week!
Fr. Andrew
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17) Words on the Word: March 14, 2021 - A Dramatic Rescue
Sometimes real-life drama can rival the material one sees in the movies.
Numerous recent media stories detailed the latest chapters in the saga of gymnast abuse that played out in the courts over the last few years. In the latest developments, another individual was implicated in the wrongdoing; this time a former U.S. Olympics coach with ties to the former Michigan State University doctor who has been serving prison sentences that commenced a few years ago.
In the events of a few weeks ago, the former Olympic coach had just been named in charges brought by the state’s attorney general. He was then found a few hours later at a Michigan rest area after taking his own life.
And all of this, yet again, brought to the surface the suffering and anguish of the numerous assault victims over the years.
The entire sequence of events is, to be sure, tragic.
“And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil,” Jesus tells Nicodemus in one of the choices for today’s gospel passage, taken from St. John. “For everyone who does wicked things hates the light … so that his works might not be exposed.”
The events tied to this story are wicked and evil in the extreme. And yet the lesson for all of us is that, beyond our comprehension – and through God’s grace - a rescue mission has already taken place. For everyone.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,” we hear in the passage, “so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.”
© 2021, Words on the Word
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18) New Podcast From Fr. Mike Schmitz, featuring Jeff Cavins: The Bible In A Year:
If you’ve struggled to read the Bible, this podcast is for you.
Ascension’s Bible in a Year Podcast, hosted by Fr. Mike Schmitz and featuring Jeff Cavins, guides Catholics through the Bible in 365 daily episodes starting January 1st, 2021.
Each 20-25 minute episode includes:
- two to three scripture readings
- a reflection from Fr. Mike Schmitz
- and guided prayer to help you hear God’s voice in his Word.
Unlike any other Bible podcast, Ascension’s Bible in a Year Podcast for Catholics follows a reading plan inspired by the Great Adventure Bible Timeline® learning system, a groundbreaking approach to understanding Salvation History developed by renowned Catholic Bible teacher Jeff Cavins.
Tune in and live your daily life through the lens of God’s word!
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This week's LIVE Stream
Schedule at St. Joan of Arc:
Monday (March 15):
7:00 AM - Mass
Tuesday (March 16):
7:00 AM - Mass
8:30 AM - School Mass (Grades 5-8)
7:00 PM - Taize Prayer Service
Wednesday (March 17):
7:00 AM - Mass
8:30 AM - School Mass (Grades 1-4)
Thursday (March 18):
7:00 AM - Mass
7:00 PM - Holy Hour (Praise and Worship Music)
Friday (March 19):
7:00 AM - Mass
10:00 AM - Funeral for Jennie Buffa
7:00 PM - Stations of the Cross
Saturday (March 20):
1:30 PM - Baptism of Rosalie Gamalski
4:00 PM - Mass
6:00 PM - Mass
Sunday (March 21):
8:00 AM - Mass
12:00 PM- Mass
Please note that all of our masses and events can be accessed through the ARCHIVE section of our Live stream page if you are not able to watch it live!
We also have our own ROKU Channel. Search for "CATHOLIC" in the ROKU channel store, and you will find SJA's channel. A Fire TV Channel is also available.
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Click on the image below
to download a copy of our
Bulletin for Sunday, March 14, 2021
The Fourth Sunday of Lent
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Weekly bulletin: Sending the bulletin has been greatly received by so many people. IF you are getting the bulletin online and would prefer that it not be mailed to your home, please click on the button below to be removed from the mailing list.
At the same time, if you are NOT getting the bulletin and would prefer to get it, click on the same button and ask to be ADDED to the list.
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Read the latest from the DETROIT CATHOLIC
Click on the image below.
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