Dear Friends in Christ,
Here are a few updates from our parish for the week of February 20, 2022.
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1) Do I have to Go to Mass? The Sunday Obligation Explained. |
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Why do we go to Mass every Sunday? Is it because of what we "get out of it"? Is it the way it makes us feel? Is it out of love for God? Or something even deeper and more profound?
Today, Fr. Mike explains the Church's teaching on Sunday Mass obligation, and why this is the way that God has asked us to worship him.
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2) Suffering can be Transformed into Blessing, Archbishop tell Sick and Caregivers |
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From Detroit Catholic: Suffering is transformed into a blessing when endured in union in Christ as a share of his cross, Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron said Feb. 13 during the Archdiocese of Detroit's annual Mass for the World Day of the Sick at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament.
“In Christ, even sickness itself is redefined,” Archbishop Vigneron told the congregation, including individuals battling illnesses, their caregivers and family members as well as members of the Order of Malta.
“What the world judges as most abhorrent and the highest of tragedies — to be ill and headed toward death — has been by the life and teaching of Jesus Christ, redefined," the archbishop said. "Christ, by his death and resurrection, has transformed suffering into a blessing. Not suffering for its own sake, of course, but suffering becomes a blessing in the kingdom of Christ when it is borne with a loving trust — a son or daughter's abandonment to the Father.”
World Day of the Sick, which falls on the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, is celebrated on the Sunday closest to the feast when Our Lady appeared to St. Bernadette Soubirous, Archbishop Vigneron said.
“(The apparition at) Lourdes itself happened in a garage dump — that in this place that seemed so desolate, so abandoned, Christ sent his mother to say that we are not abandoned; we are not alone," the archbishop said. "Put it this way: Even in our garbage, Christ can be present. He can transform that place of contempt into something marvelous and filled with blessing. This is an important truth for all of us to proclaim. This is the good news.”
Christ’s transformation and healing touch can be felt through both sacraments that occurred during the Mass, the archbishop said: the Eucharist and the anointing of the sick. The anointing of the sick can be understood through the Scripture readings of the day, which focused on St. Luke’s version of the beatitudes, he said.
“We often lose sight of the fact that through the beatitudes, our Lord really turns the world upside down,” Archbishop Vigneron said. “He declares in the beatitudes that four things that look like calamities to the world are in fact great successes.”
Christ declares the things that the world abhors — poverty, hunger, sadness, unpopularity, sickness — are things that draw us closer to him and to the kingdom, Archbishop Vigneron said. Jesus himself was blessed in his own poverty, hungry and weeping because he trusted in the Father.
“Suffering in the life of the Christian Church and the life of Christians is a powerful vocation; a time when a disciple is called to live more deeply in union with Christ in the mystery of his own love and trust in the father,” Archbishop Vigneron said. “That is why the anointing of the sick has been given to us by Christ, why it is so important in the life of the Church: because this is a way in which sons and daughters of God the Father, the brothers and sisters of Jesus, are strengthened by the touch of Jesus, by the hand of Jesus.”
Listen to the Archbishop's entire homily below.
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3) Reconnecting with your Spouse |
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While I published this last weekend because of World Marriage Day, I thought it was a good article to republish.
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Increase the Quantity and Quality of Communication – to enhance your communication, Jeff Cortez suggests the “Dialogue” technique of ten and ten (ten minutes writing on one chosen topic; ten minutes of discussion). This technique is taught to every couple who attends a Catholic Marriage Encounter Weekend and is used by thousands of happily married couples around the world.
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Do Activities Together As a Couple – identify activities that you both enjoy doing together and make them a priority. Just taking time each day to walk together while holding hands can do so much to improve your mood and create positive feelings toward your spouse.
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Have a Vision for Your Marriage and Set Goals Together – when couples set goals together that are greater than themselves, keeping service to God and others in mind, their marriage becomes a mission with great meaning and purpose.
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Pray Together and For Each Other – one of the great gifts of Catholic marriage is the grace that is always available even in the most difficult times. When couples pray with and for each other, they can access the supernatural help that comes from this grace. The trust and intimacy that comes from a shared spiritual life is a great source of strength for Catholic married couples.
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4) Help for Troubled Marriages |
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The Retrouvaille Program is for Married Couples Facing Difficult Challenges in their Relationship
- A Marriage program that helps couples restore their marriage and rebuild a loving relationship.
- A Christian marriage program, Catholic in origin, where couples of all faiths or no faith background are encouraged to attend.
- Primarily a practical program to improve communication, build stronger marriages, and help couples reconnect.
- Presenters are not trained marriage counselors, but rather couples sharing their personal stories of marital struggles and the tools they used to rediscover their love.
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5) Vocations Evening Prayer and Dinner with Archbishop Vigneron |
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Do you know of someone that might be thinking of a priestly vocation? If so, ask them to consider attending the March 23, 2022, evening prayer and dinner with Archbishop Vigneron. Click on the image below for further details. |
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6) SAVE THE DATES: March 8, 15, and 22 at 7 PM: A Program on the Shroud of Turin at SJA both In-Person and Online |
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Click on the image below to download a PDF of the flyer. |
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7) This Sunday's Readings - February 20, 2022 |
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8) What Happened to Jeff Cavins Sunday Reflection Series? |
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Jeff Cavins Sunday reflection series will return with the First Sunday of Lent. When he recorded the Year C series, Lent had already begun, so there is a lapse in recordings for the early part of Ordinary Time. |
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9) Bishop Barron's Reflection for the 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time |
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Friends, whenever we give or receive a gift, we’re always caught in a difficult rhythm of exchange and mutual obligation. The great exception to this rule is God, who is utterly gratuitous in his giving. But in Luke’s Sermon on the Plain, we are invited to share, by grace, in the very way that God exists and that God loves, giving to those in need without expecting anything in return. |
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10) Grow+Go for the 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time |
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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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11) 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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12) This Week's Edition of TALLer Tales |
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Big Brother is Watching: Shortly before Christmas, someone asked me to pray for their daughter, son-in-law, and family. It was a simple request, and I was happy to pray for them. However, as I was engaged in conversation with this individual, I decided to ask, “What’s going on.” The individual shared that with COVID her family was experiencing some financial struggles. One of them lost their job, and another had a reduction in hours, all of which was creating a financial strain on the family. It was a sad yet familiar story shared by many during this two-year pandemic. While there was never an ask for help, I knew I could offer the family some help.
The help would come from another family I spoke to just the previous day. They wanted to adopt a family for Christmas. They already shared with me they wanted to do something tangible for a family beyond just buying a few gifts for Christmas. God is good. He always is, and His timing is always perfect. This was a perfect match.
Once I got all the details and the ways I could help the family in need, I went back to the family who was going to help, and they agreed to cover the other family’s rent for a few months. They also wanted to ensure the other family’s son had a few extra toys for Christmas. Their little son was a few years old and was into all things dinosaurs. With that bit of knowledge, I had all I needed to gather a few gifts for the little one.
In most cases, I would usually get one of my sisters or my mom to do my shopping for me, but I figured I could hop on Amazon and get a few dinosaur-related items, and I would be set. This seemed like a simple task. I remember well, sitting in my back room, pulling out my laptop, and going on Amazon to accomplish my task. All I put in the search area was “dinosaur gifts for toddlers.” Do you know how many THOUSANDS of things are on Amazon that are dinosaur-related. Good heavens. Suddenly I was overwhelmed with looking at all the options. But then my curiosity got to me as I looked at dinosaur toys and dinosaur coloring books and dinosaur clothing and dinosaur kits. There was even a dinosaur glow-in-the-dark blanket that looked pretty cool, but then I thought the glow-in-the-dark thing would scare the little one. So many options. So much to look through. I was having fun.
I put several items in my cart. BUT, as is my typical custom, when I landed in my big chair in my back room that night, I fell asleep. IT. HAPPENS. ALL. THE. TIME. I almost need to set an alarm each night at 11 PM to wake me up so I can go to bed. Otherwise, I’ll be stuck there until 1 or 2 in the morning, and the walk up to my room is absolute pure drudgery! I’m the type of person that even if I wake up five minutes before my morning alarm goes off, I still have to get undressed and crawl into bed for those five minutes so that I feel like I got a good night’s sleep.
The following day, I saw the mom who asked me to pray for her daughter and family. I shared that I started on the dinosaur gift hunt but failed. So, I asked if she wouldn’t mind accomplishing the task for me. She was delighted to do so and took care of things. But, I have to admit it was fun trying to shop for the little guy and even more fun looking at all the dinosaur-related things out there.
Well, I wasn’t prepared for how much “Big Brother” was really watching. For almost the whole month of January, dinosaur-related things kept popping up ALL THE TIME on my google search pages and other things I was working on. Dinosaur-related ads were showing up EVERYWHERE. It was hilarious and kind of embarrassing at the same time because I often share my computer screen during Zoom calls, and there these dinosaur items kept showing up. I kept telling myself that I better share this news with someone; otherwise, if someone got on my computer or watched my ads, they would question why all the dinosaur stuff. I could just hear it now, “BOY, I knew Monsignor was into M&M’s and chocolate but dinosaurs too? That’s an interesting combination!”
In the end, the family had a great Christmas and was VERY grateful for the generosity of another family in our parish who made all of this possible. The timing was perfect from the perspective of when I got the news that this family wanted to sponsor someone and when I was asked to pray for another family. But much of this would never have taken place had I not stopped and asked the question, “What’s going on.” It was a gentle reminder to me … and should be for all of us … that in the midst of our busy lives and the want to move from task to task quickly, we need to take the time to listen to other people’s stories. A simple “What’s going on” made all the difference in the world. Yes, I learned that “Big Brother” is ALWAYS watching. But I guess “Big Brother” should ALWAYS be watching in some sense … meaning US … in that we should be on the lookout for our brothers and sisters in need, take the time to hear their stories, and then respond accordingly. God will always provide. He always does. We just have to take the time to make it all happen. Sometimes all it takes is a simple question like, “What’s going on?”
Coming Attractions: Ash Wednesday and a Program on the Shroud of Turin: Believe it or not, folks, but Ash Wednesday is less than TWO weeks away. Yes, Wednesday, March 2, 2022, is Ash Wednesday!
Many people have already started asking what our plan will be for Ash Wednesday. I’m happy to report that we will go back to our pre-COVID plan of three public masses that day (7 AM, 12 Noon, and 7 PM) with the distribution of ashes taking place during those liturgies AND from 10 AM until just before the 7 PM mass. One of the priests or deacons will be present in Church between the masses to distribute ashes. Visitors who come between the liturgies will be asked to read through the day’s readings and stay in Church to reflect on the meaning of the Lenten season. Reflective music will also be playing throughout this time. The Church will remain open throughout the day until immediately after the 7 PM mass. We will distribute ashes as we did before COVID, by a sign of the cross on the forehead.
I also want to call your attention to the program on the Shroud of Turin that will take place on three consecutive Tuesdays beginning on March 8 at 7 PM. The event will be held in Church and will be live-streamed on our SJA Live page (and on Facebook and Roku). Father Andrew was the one who suggested bringing this program to SJA! We’re grateful for the idea! The presenter is David Conrad, who serves as the Director of Faith Formation and as the Pastoral Associate at St. Aidan Parish in Livonia.
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Enjoy the week.
Know of my prayers.
In Christ,
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13) Tire Tracks in the d’Arc |
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Loving Your Enemies: I’m sure all of us have had moments where we’ve been treated wrongly and just want nothing more than to get even. Maybe we’ve even been in a position to do that. And in that moment we are face with the ultimate test of integrity of faith. Do we believe what we profess to. A Christian doesn't take the bait. A Christian turns away from that opportunity.
In the first reading today, David found himself in that situation. Driven by his paranoia and envy of the popular young David, King Saul had been trying to hunt David down and kill him. Having snuck into Saul’s camp at night while everyone was asleep, David had his chance to end Saul’s murderous ambitions. David’s lieutenant Abishai was practically begging him, to order him, to kill Saul as he slept. That would have been too easy and in David’s eyes, it would have been terribly wrong. After all, Saul was anointed king of Israel by the Lord, so who was David to end his life?
David decided to take the high moral ground. He took Saul’s spear and water jar and left the camp. From a distance, he showed these prizes to Saul and made it clear that he could have killed him but chose not to do so. David challenged Saul to treat him with the same mercy and respect, “The LORD will reward each man for his justice and faithfulness.” David says. Saul knows David had the chance to end his life, but he chose not to do so. Saul admits his guilt and leaves.
The first reading and the Gospel today give us the same message; “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” It’s an opportunity this Sunday to do a little examination of our consciences. Are we treating others with the mercy we hope for from God for ourselves? And if not, where in our life does that need to change? Who do we need to relate to differently? Because if we are lacking mercy toward another, Jesus assures us that it does need to change: “The measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you,” Jesus says.
The phrase had a literal meaning, in the pre-electronic weigh scale days. Market owners would sell their produce by weight, but unscrupulous salesmen would be in the habit of shaving an ounce or two from the weights used on their scales or finding whatever other methods they could to cheat the customer and still charge them the same. Jesus is using the analogy in talking about the mercy of God’s forgiveness—we will be given what we give to others. If we are generous toward others, God will be even more so to us— “a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap.” We will be more than rewarded for our kindness. But with-hold our kindness and mercy towards others and we can expect to be treated accordingly in God’s justice.
As if to make the point clear, today we hear Psalm 51, David’s prayer of contrition and plea for God’s mercy. David was a good king, but only because he recognized his own mistakes and admitted that he needed God’s mercy: “Have mercy on me O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.” And we respond in solidarity with David for our own sinfulness with the response: “Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.” David knew of God’s mercy toward him and he knew of his responsibility to be a conduit of mercy himself, as he showed toward Saul.
Fr. Andrew’s Very Local Weather Update: Well, unfortunately, my weather station is no longer reporting an outdoor temperature of 70 degrees (for now!), since it is no longer sitting in my living room. I made use of the beautiful Spring 30-degree temperatures last week to get outside and build a stand to mount the station on. I had looked online for one, but I was not going to pay $200 to hoist the sensor up in the air. So I did what I usually do in these situations and headed to Home Depot. Then I engaged in the usual “Hide from the sales associates” game. As helpful as they are trying to be, I inevitably get caught studying some piece of hardware, while considering if I can use it for a purpose totally different from the one it was intended for. I need to walk around the store to get my inspiration. But while I stand there thinking, someone always comes up to me and asks, “Can I help you find something?” Then I have to tell them that I have no idea what I’m looking for until I see it. That doesn't usually compute with the brain that says, “if you’re doing plumbing, go to aisle 14; if you need to fix a roof, go to aisle 23.” They often don’t understand that I need a piece of hardware for something it wasn't designed for, but no-one can tell me what that piece is until I see it and decide that I can use it to solve a problem it wasn’t meant to solve. It’s my version of hunting. Leave me alone in the “blind” until I spot my target. I love creating as I go. This particular hunt turned out to be pretty simple.
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This stand had to be moveable so I could put it on the lawn, away from the Parish Center wall, and still move it so the lawn can be mowed easily. I already had some lumber, so all I needed was…… hmmm… let’s take a walk and see… there it is!... a $12 extendable closet pole. Extendable?! “I can make it any height I want!” I thought. Only when I got home did it occur to me that closets don’t have to fight with gravity. One pole slides freely inside the other to your desired length, but turn them into a vertical pole and that pole only extends until you let go and then loses out to gravity and disappears inside the other one.
Never mind. The beauty of these made-up solutions is in the fun of making creative adjustments as you go. I drilled a hole in the larger pole and put a screw through it so the smaller diameter pole could only side down a few inches. Problem solved. Here’s to you, Sonny Eliot!
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You are in my prayers this week.
Fr. Andrew
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14) Ascension Presents: Father Mike Schmitz |
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God Ain't Your Grandma (Making God an Idol)
What does God want from us? What does God deserve from us given that he’s our creator?
Today, Fr. Mike shows how we can actually turn God into an idol—when we “choose our version of God.” This is what happens when we pull God off the shelf when we want him or need him, but put him back on the shelf when we don’t. Today, Fr. Mike invites us to ask God what he wants from us.
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15) Words on the Word: February 20, 2022 - Judge Not!
It will take years for the wounds to heal in Oakland County after the late November tragedy that took place at Oxford High School. Indeed, for those closest to the situation, the wounds may never fully heal.
So, it is especially difficult to read about the ongoing legal proceedings against the accused assailant and his parents, particularly when the stories report things like the alleged mindset of the shooter.
“The importance of surrendering is that (the gunman) would not be killed and would be alive to witness the suffering he had caused,” one recent story in The Detroit News quoted the Oakland County prosecutor as saying in a court filing.
The reporter who wrote the story characterized it as a “bid to survive and admire his work.”
It is, alas, an understandable and all-too-human response from the community and the public at large to be enraged. Indeed, it is a short journey from a “desire for justice” to a “revenge at all costs” approach to the punishment. And to hear people react to the story, it’s clear that many lean precisely toward hateful vengeance.
And yet, as difficult as it may be, our Christianity calls us to a different approach. A far more measured approach. An approach that acknowledges the reality, but nevertheless seeks a mindset – or at least a fundamental understanding – that, the legal system notwithstanding, it is not our place to judge a person’s soul.
“Stop judging and you will not be judged,” Jesus tells his followers in today’s gospel message from St. Luke. “Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”
There may be no more difficult directive. But we’re called to believe and to act accordingly.
© 2022, Words on the Word
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16) The Bible in a Year Podcast by Father Mike Schmitz |
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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.
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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17) FORMED Pick of the Week: |
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Our parish has a subscription to FORMED, a premier online platform filled with over 4,000 Catholic studies, movies, audio dramas, talks, e-books, and even cartoons for our children. FORMED has content from over 60 apostolates, including Augustine Institute, Ignatius Press, and the Knights of Columbus, with material that is professionally produced, engaging, and solid in its catechism. Best of all, this material is free to you because of our parish subscription.
You have easy access to all of the material on FORMED to support your own faith journey and that of your family members.
You can enjoy FORMED on your computer or on your television with an inexpensive Roku device or Apple TV. You can even listen on your phone as you commute to work or do chores.
To gain access to all of FORMED’s content, follow these simple steps:
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Go to https://signup.formed.org/
- Enter our parish’s zip code 48080 or enter St. Joan of Arc
- Enter your name and your email address
That’s it! You’re in. Now you can get the free FORMED app for your phone by searching FORMED Catholic in your app store.
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Are you looking for a one-stop app for prayer and meditation? Look no further than Hallow. Hallow is an awesome prayer app. 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 (my mom being one of them and she is on the app most of the day). 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.
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. Enter the code stjoanofarcmi to obtain a discount on individual pro plans.
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19) Mass Intentions for the Week: |
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Monday, February 21, 2022, Weekday Saint Peter Damian, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
7:00 a.m. Tracey Kowalewski and Mary Biermann
Tuesday, February 22, 2022, Chair of Saint Peter the Apostle
7:00 a.m. Michelle Levigne and Marian Gorde
Wednesday, February 23, 2022, Saint Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr
7:00 a.m. A Special Intention for the Benedis Family
Thursday, February 24, 2022, Weekday
7:00 a.m. George Mourtos
Friday, February 25, 2022, Weekday
7:00 a.m. Timothy Fox and Michael Forrester
Saturday Vigil, February 26, 2022, Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
4:00 p.m. George Rupinski, Bonnie Batchee, the deceased members of the Goor Family, Frank Nagy, Carlos Mallare, Michael Pore and Special Intentions for the Thomas Family, the J. Champine Family, the Cantrell Family, and David and Dorothy Damm on their 62nd Wedding Anniversary
6:00 p.m. Joan Weber and a Special Intention for Dr. Lori Karol
Sunday, February 27, 2022, Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
8:00 a.m.For the Intentions of Saint Joan of Arc Parishioners
10:00 a.m. Jim Brenner
12:00 p.m. Virginia Mette, Mario & Eva DiNello, Felix Conte, Michael Berch, William Kowynia
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20) This Week on St. Joan of Arc LIVE: |
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This week's LIVE Stream
Schedule at St. Joan of Arc:
Monday (February 21):
7:00 AM - Mass
Tuesday (February 22):
7:00 AM - Mass
8:30 AM - School Mass (Grades 5-8)
Wednesday (February 23):
7:00 AM - Mass
8:30 AM - School Mass (Grades 1-4)
Thursday (February 24):
7:00 AM - Mass
6:00 PM - Holy Hour (Praise and Worship Music)
Friday (February 25):
7:00 AM - Mass
Saturday (February 26):
12:30 PM - Baptism of Isabella R. Cornett
1:30 PM - Baptism of Lyla Belle Eschenburg
2:30 PM - Baptism of Chloe Marlee Anne Wolfe
4:00 PM - Mass
6:00 PM - Mass
Sunday (February 27):
8:00 AM - Mass
10:00 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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21) SJA's Bulletin for Sunday, February 20, 2022 |
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Click on the image below
to download a copy of the bulletin
for February 20, 2022
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22) Weekly Bulletin Mailing List |
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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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