Week of December 3, 2023

1) Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception - This Friday

This Friday is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception; it is a holy day of obligation.

Our mass schedule for the holy day will be:

Thursday, December 7:

7:00 p.m.

Friday, December 8:

7:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m.,

and 7:00 p.m.

Surprisingly, many people think that the Immaculate Conception has something to do with the birth of Christ. It doesn’t; well, sort of! The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is about Mary being born without original sin. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) teaches: CCC #488: “’God sent forth his Son,’ but to prepare a body for him, he wanted the free cooperation of a creature. For this, from all eternity God chose for the mother of his Son a daughter of Israel, a young Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee, ‘a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary’… The Father of mercies willed that the Incarnation should be preceded by assent on the part of the predestined mother, so that just as a woman had a share in the coming of death, so also should a woman contribute to the coming of life.”

With the celebration of the Immaculate Conception, “we recall that Mary, free from original sin, remained free of all sin throughout her life. This means that she always chose to be faithful to God’s will, even in the most difficult times. Mary was a human being who, as the Second Vatican Council taught, was on a ‘pilgrimage of faith.’ Even when her faith was tested, she remained steadfast. As the Council also affirmed, she freely cooperated ‘in the work of human salvation through faith and obedience.’ She shows us what it means to be a follower of her Son. As we participate in the Eucharist on this December 8, we thank God for giving us the Blessed Virgin Mary as the pre-eminent model of discipleship and holiness (from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website: www.usccb.org).”

2) Living Rosary on Friday at 6:40 PM

3) Additional Confession Opportunities during Advent:

Father Adam and I will be available for reconciliation during the following times in one of the conference rooms in the Sr. Carol Center. Chairs will be set up in the Gathering Place and will serve as a “line” for confession; you’ll be getting some exercise moving from one chair to another as the line moves. If you wanted to wait for a specific confessor, you could do so.

The schedule is as follows:

Tuesday, December 5: 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM

Wednesday, December 6: 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM

Saturday, December 9: 11 AM to 12:00 PM

Tuesday, December 12: 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM

Wednesday, December 13: 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM

Saturday, December 16: 11 AM to 12:00 PM

Tuesday, December 19: 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM

Wednesday, December 20: 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM

Saturday, December 23: 11 AM to 12:00 PM

You would be amazed how many times I welcome people back who haven’t celebrated the sacrament in years or even decades. Don’t be afraid if you’re one of these people and are worried about going to confession. Tell the confessor it’s been a while since you’ve gone to confession; he will walk you through the ritual. Don’t worry if you can’t remember the Act of Contrition; we have cards in the confessionals with the prayers. Your act of contrition could be as simple as: “Lord Jesus, Son of God have mercy on me, a sinner.”

Another excuse I often hear about why people don’t go to confession is: “Father, you don’t have the time to hear all that I need to confess.” Nice try, we’ll make the time! Another excuse: “Father, I wouldn’t have the time to do the penance you would give me. By the way, what kinds of penances do they give out these days?” The penances given out these days are often in the form of a prayer or some act of kindness. It’s not difficult, people! I encourage you to give it a try.

4) Giving Tree Project

“Giving Tree” is a special charitable project designed to match the generosity of our parishioners with the needs of our community during the Christmas holidays. The project serves 100% local individuals who may otherwise not receive a gift at this special time of the year.

HOW IT WORKS:

1) PURCHASE GIFT CARD(S): Unlike past years when we accepted tangible gifts such as toys and clothing, the Giving Tree will accept only gift cards again this year. This decision is to make it safer and easier for our parishioners to participate. It will also make the program more flexible for our charity agencies.

Buy plastic* gift card(s) valued from $15-30 (per card). You may purchase more than one, but please make sure limits fall within per-card limits of $15-$30.

* tangible gift cards please, no electronic vouchers. Please make sure cards have been activated at the retailer that issued the card.

STORES ACCEPTED: Meijer, Kroger, Walmart, Target, and Amazon

WHERE TO BUY: At the named retailer, at most drug & and grocery stores, or online.

2) PLACE GIFT CARD(s) IN AN ENVELOPE: Place the gift card(s) in an envelope. The envelope may include a Christmas greeting card, but this is not required. Mark on the envelope (directly or with a pasted note) “GIVING TREE” along with the quantity, store name, and value of the gift card(s).

3) TAKE THE GIFT ENVELOPE(S) TO A DESIGNATED DROP SPOT: DEADLINE: Monday, December 4, 2023: Bring your marked envelope(s) to the Parish Center Office during office hours, or place it in the locked collection boxes in the Sr. Carol Center or the Parish Center Lobby.

OR

LET US PURCHASE THE GIFT CARDS FOR YOU: You may also donate this year via our online giving platform (by clicking the button below) and indicate the amount you would like to donate. We will take care of the rest.

5) Hat and Mitten Tree Project

This year for our Hat and Mitten Tree Project, we are donating to St. Raymond's Soup Kitchen downtown. We are accepting hats and mittens for children and adults. Any hats or mittens you wish to donate can be placed in the red bins on either side of the Sr. Carol picture in the Gathering Place or simply dropped off at the Parish Center.

6) O Come Emmanuel: Your 2023 guide to Christmas concerts in southeast Michigan

From Detroit Catholic: Keep your Advent merry and bright by attending one of these 13 joy-filled concerts provided by Catholic parishes and schools

DETROIT — Are you the sort of person who refuses to turn on Christmas music until after Thanksgiving? Or have you been blasting “We Three Kings” on the car stereo since September?

Either way, the season is finally here, and in the Archdiocese of Detroit, that means Christmas concerts.

During this season of preparation for Christ's birth, it’s important to take time to worship the coming king in song.

For your convenience, Detroit Catholic has compiled the following list of Christmas concerts during the month of December featuring some of the best local Catholic ensembles and musicians playing classic Christmas hymns, contemporary songs and Advent favorites to help you and your family slow down and remember the reason for the season. Most of the concerts below are free (with a couple of exceptions).

May you and your family enjoy a holy, fruitful Advent this year.

For the FULL SCHEDULE of concerts or to read more, click here.

7) Marches de Noel Celebration - Next Saturday

8) New Men's Fellowship Bible Study

9) Ascension's Bible and Catechism App

10) Holy Hour on Thursdays

11) This Sunday's Readings: December 3, 2023 - First Sunday of Advent

12) Sunday Reflections by Jeff Cavins

"Avoid Spiritual Sleep" + The First Sunday of Advent

In this week's Encountering the Word video for the First Sunday of Advent, Jeff Cavins reminds us to prepare and always be ready for Christ's return. 

First Reading: Isaiah 63:16B-17, 19B; 64:2-7

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:3-9

Alleluia: Psalms 85:8

Gospel: Mark 13:33-37

13) Bishop Barron's Sunday Sermon

You Can’t Save Yourself



Friends, we come to the First Sunday of Advent—the liturgical new year. I've said this before, but Advent is a time to get back to basics. Can I suggest we start with that familiar Advent hymn, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”? Until we get into the spiritual space opened up by that hymn, we are not understanding Advent—and more to it, we are not understanding Christianity. We are beggars asking Emmanuel—“God with us”—to come and “ransom captive Israel.” You're in chains; you’re held captive. What can you do to save yourself? Nothing—except to cry out, “Come, come, someone, save me!

14) Grow+Go

15) Giving to SJA:

I'm truly grateful for all of your support of SJA. 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.

16) This Week's Edition of TALLER Tales

A Thanksgiving Day Miracle: As I’ve mentioned here before, my primary task for our family’s Thanksgiving dinner is taking care of the turkeys. After dealing with an oversized turkey that almost didn’t fit in my oven one year, I’ve switched to two smaller turkeys the last several years. I bought my turkeys the week before Thanksgiving and finally transferred them from my freezer to the refrigerator the Saturday before Thanksgiving. I figured they would have enough time to thaw by the time Thursday morning rolled around.

After picking up one of the turkeys on Wednesday evening, I felt there was still a bit of crunching on the inside, which meant they were still a bit frozen. So, I underwent the cold water bath route for an hour or two before sending them back to my refrigerator’s lower shelf.

On Thursday morning, immediately after the 7:00 a.m. Mass, I started my turkey preparations by preparing all the ingredients for my herb butter rub. I went with fresh sage, thyme, and rosemary this year. I figured it would have been simple to wash off these precious herbs and put them under my little chopper, and I would pulverize them with several quick blows to the chopper’s handle. Well, that was an abysmal failure. So, out came my big butcher knife. I thought about putting on my special knife gloves (those gloves made especially for people like me who tend to cut their fingers often during meal preparations), but I decided not to, hoping I would behave. I dutifully chopped all my carrots, celery, and onions, along with the fresh sage, thyme, and rosemary I bought the previous day. I was impressed that I chopped them well and did so without a single cut to my fingers! That was a Thanksgiving Day miracle!

I then mixed all the herbs with the room-temperature butter that had been sitting out all night and got my herb butter spread ready to go for when I finally prepped the turkeys after the 9:00 a.m. mass. Everything was going like clockwork. I was a little scared that things were going so well, as this rarely happens.

After the 9:00 a.m. Mass, I returned to my kitchen and started to unbag my turkeys. I immediately noticed that the inside of the turkey cavity and the bag containing the neck and other “things” were still frozen! But I quickly worked through that panic by washing the turkey cavity with water. I had the idea, following an online recipe, to cut up the neck into pieces and place those pieces at the bottom of the pan along with the carrots, celery, and onions, but after a few tries of cutting a frozen turkey neck with a serrated knife, and knowing it probably wasn’t a good idea to bring out my 4-inch circular saw or even my Sawzall, I decided to toss the necks and call it a day.

With the vegetables in place at the bottom of the turkey oven bag, I rubbed down both turkeys with my herb butter rub and placed one in my oven and the other in the Parish Center oven. Again, I had a tinge of panic because things were going way too well! I kept waiting for the “other shoe” to drop. As I carried one turkey to the Parish Center, I worried I would drop it and wondered if the three-second rule would apply even outside. But then I figured too many people had access to the cameras and would be spying on me, and there would be an online report if anything happened. So, I was extra careful; both turkeys made it to the ovens without incident.

I then cleaned up my kitchen and got things ready so I could quickly escape to my mom’s condo the minute the turkeys’ two little pop-up thermometers popped. Three hours later, those pop-up timers popped, and I promptly foiled the two roasting pans and transferred them to my car … ALL without incident. It was another miracle. It was all too surreal and weird.

I got to the condo, and with the help of my sisters and mom, we got everything set up and ready for our 4:00 p.m. dinner. Everything turned out great. It was weird; I had no horror stories to tell, and it was a Norman Rockwell picturesque-type Thanksgiving Day Dinner. It’s only taken me 20 some odd years, but I think I FINALLY have this turkey thing figured out … and all by myself. Now, that was a Thanksgiving Day Miracle!

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception: This Friday is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception; it is a holy day of obligation. Our mass schedule for the holy day will be Thursday, December 7, at 7:00 p.m. and Friday, December 8, at 7:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., and 7:00 p.m.

Surprisingly, many people think that the Immaculate Conception has something to do with the birth of Christ. It doesn’t; well, sort of! The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is about Mary being born without original sin. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) teaches: CCC #488: “’God sent forth his Son,’ but to prepare a body for him, he wanted the free cooperation of a creature. For this, from all eternity God chose for the mother of his Son a daughter of Israel, a young Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee, ‘a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary’… The Father of mercies willed that the Incarnation should be preceded by assent on the part of the predestined mother, so that just as a woman had a share in the coming of death, so also should a woman contribute to the coming of life.”

With the celebration of the Immaculate Conception, “we recall that Mary, free from original sin, remained free of all sin throughout her life. This means that she always chose to be faithful to God’s will, even in the most difficult times. Mary was a human being who, as the Second Vatican Council taught, was on a ‘pilgrimage of faith.’ Even when her faith was tested, she remained steadfast. As the Council also affirmed, she freely cooperated ‘in the work of human salvation through faith and obedience.’ She shows us what it means to be a follower of her Son. As we participate in the Eucharist on this December 8, we thank God for giving us the Blessed Virgin Mary as the pre-eminent model of discipleship and holiness (from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website: www.usccb.org).”

Advent Reconciliation Opportunities: Yikes, it’s Advent. How did that happen already? And what’s even more complicated is that our Advent season this year is the shortest it can be. In fact, it’s only 3 weeks and a few hours, given that the Fourth Sunday of Advent will be Christmas Eve! So Advent will fly by this year!

Beginning this week, Father Adam and I will be available in the Sister Carol Center to celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation with people on Tuesdays from 1 – 2 p.m., Wednesdays from 4:30 – 6:00 p.m., and Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. 

Enjoy the week. Know of my prayers!

Happy Advent!

In Christ,

17) Along the Way with Father Adam

The Holy Rosary 

As Msgr. Mike has been announcing at Mass over the past two weeks, we will participate in a living Rosary on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, December 08. I wanted to take a minute, then, to reflect on the Rosary. 

How can the Rosary find a place in my life? Isn’t it easier just to go straight to Jesus with my prayers? The Rosary takes a long time. It is repetitive, and I zone out. I can never remember the mysteries. I start a Rosary and then I forget to finish it. I write in first person because I, myself, have said all of the previous statements at some point in my prayer life. However, there is one inescapable fact: Mary brings us to her Son and the Rosary is a prayer that she has repeatedly asked her children to pray. (Okay, so there are two inescapable facts!) 

At Fatima, Portugal in the early 1900s, Mary said to the three shepherd children, Lucia (10), Francisco (9), and Jacinta (7) “Pray the Rosary every day in order to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war.” Mary was directly speaking about the imminent world war, but “the war” can also refer to the daily fight against sin and temptation. Now that is a battle to which we can all relate. Jesus does not leave us unarmed. He sends us into battle with His Mother at our side. St. Padre Pio said, “Love the Madonna and pray the Rosary, for her Rosary is the weapon against the evils of the world today. All graces given by God pass through the Blessed Mother.”

Some communities of religious men and women, such as the Dominicans, wear a rosary as part of their habit. Typically, the rosary is worn on the left-hand side, at the waist where a soldier’s sword would have hung, back in the day. Maybe we who do not live within the limits of a monastery, but rather work and live in the world, should consider carrying a rosary in our left-hand pocket? 

The Rosary is a longer prayer, it is repetitive, and there are 20 mysteries to remember. This is by design. To pray a set of 5 mysteries takes about 15 minutes...what a gift to pause life for 15 minutes, or for 3 minutes a day, five days of the week. The repetition of the Hail Mary is familiar, and touching the beads can be comforting, focusing, and calming. The 20 mysteries are a summary of God’s Love Letter to each one of us. With each mystery we are invited to think about, imagine, and place ourselves in an event in the life of Our Lord and Our Lady. Those ten Hail Mary’s become the musical score, the recurring theme, set to each pivotal scene in the greatest love story ever told. 

Jesus has a personal relationship with each one of us. He laid His very life down so that each of us might have eternal and abundant life. It is up to each of us to respond to His act of love and grow in our own personal relationship with Jesus. How do you come to know the depth of love Jesus has for you? One sure way is Mary! She will show you. A prayer life is richly enhanced by a deep love for Jesus’ Blessed Mother. So, pray the Rosary. Lucia, the oldest of the Fatima children, with whom Mary spoke, has this to say, “...to pray the Rosary is something everybody can do, rich and poor, wise and ignorant, great and small.” 

Mary brought Jesus into the world to us. Now, as Queen of Heaven and Earth, she brings us out of this world to Him. Her Rosary is a gift to us, and when we pray it well it becomes our gift to her. 

Maybe you pray the Rosary daily, weekly, monthly, or when you remember. Maybe you have never felt drawn to this way of praying; after all, it isn’t necessary for salvation. However, it has been my experience that when my mother asked me to do something it was in my best interest to do it. Perhaps during Advent dust off those beads and give your Mother a call. 

Mary, Queen of the Rosary, Pray for Us!

Blessings!

Fr. Adam

anowak@sjascs.org

18) Ascension Presents: Father Mike Schmitz

How Guardian Angels Actually Work

Are angels real? Why did God make them? What do guardian angels do? Do I have one? Does it have a name? Can I name it?

…All these questions and more answered today by Fr. Mike Schmitz.

19) Words on the Word: December 3, 2023 - Turning to the Lord

Heaven, our faith tells us, rejoices when a sinner repents and returns to the Lord.

How heaven must have been celebrating then, a few weeks ago, at a noteworthy act of repentance involving a theft and desecration that had taken place in Spain.

According to a story published by the Catholic News Agency, thieves had broken into a hospital chapel and stolen not only an altar cross, chasuble, corporal, liturgical book, and a chalice, but also the tabernacle with the Eucharist inside.

A week later, the local bishop announced on his radio program, the thieves returned what they had stolen and, even more profoundly, had made a full sacramental confession.

“Now that the Lord has touched hearts, we can only say: Glory to God!” the bishop was quoted in the story as saying. “The true solution is repentance; it’s returning to the will of God.”

It’s a terrific story, as we commence today into the Advent season. Few of us are likely thieves, fewer still are thieves who would commit such an egregious act, but all of us have need to repent for something.

“No ear has ever heard, no eye ever seen, any God but you doing such deeds for those who wait for him,” we hear in today’s first reading from the prophet Isaiah. “Would that you might meet us doing right, that we were mindful of you in our ways.”

Those ways, of course, involve everything we do, and everything we don’t do, that follows a path other than the one God would have us follow.

“Lord, make us turn to you,” we pray in the responsorial psalm, “let us see your face and we shall be saved.”

Christmas is just three weeks away. Have we repented for our sins, and begun to prepare for the birth of the Christ child?

© 2023, Words on the Word

20) This WEEK on FORMED:

21) Hallow App:

22) Mass Intentions for the Week:

Monday, December 4, 2023, Weekday (Purple/White) 

7:00 a.m., Fr. Arthur Oldani

Tuesday, December 5, 2023, Weekday (Purple)

7:00 a.m., Mary Champine

Wednesday December 6, 2023, Weekday (Purple/White)

7:00 a.m., Richard & Virginia Robinette

6:00 p.m., Robert Grout & Sally Cabot

Thursday, December 7, 2023, Saint Andrew, Apostle (White)

7:00 a.m., Special Intention for the Family of Tina Calisi

Thursday, December 8, 2023, Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (White)

7:00 p.m., John Power

Friday, December 8, 2023, Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (White)

7:00 a.m., The deceased members of the Rogier & Dettloff Families

12:00 p.m., Special Intention for Marilyn Kiefer

7:00 p.m., Intentions of St. Joan of Arc Parishioners

Saturday, December 9, 2023, Vigil for the Second Sunday of Advent (Purple)

4:00 p.m., Bonnie Batche, Mark & Danuta Siwik, Helen Blind, Angeline Calus, Charlotte Miller, Robert Yaklin and special intentions for the Thomas Family, the J. Champine Family, for Alison Reslow, Pam Haisenleder, Lorraine Jonas, and Linda Frank

6:00 p.m., Wallie Gray

Sunday, December 10, 2023, Second Sunday of Advent (Purple)

8:00 a.m., For the Intentions for St. Joan of Arc Parishioners

10:00 a.m., James Freundl

12:00 p.m., Jaclyn Maul, Maxine Romanik, Jose Medina, Rosario Medina, Jeffrey Hardy, Joan Hardy, Feliciana Punzalan, Dini Hamm, Daisy Marie Buena Vesta, Gary Surnick, Trina Northrop, Bonnie & Tom Culver and special intentions for Pam Haisenleder, Alison Reslow, Lorraine Jonas, and Linda Frank

23) This Week on St. Joan of Arc LIVE:

This week's LIVE Stream

Schedule at St. Joan of Arc:

Monday (December 4)

7:00 AM - Mass

Tuesday (December 5):

7:00 AM - Mass

7:00 PM - Presence Series

Wednesday (December 6):

7:00 AM - Mass

10:00 AM - Funeral for Lee Petrella

6:00 PM - Mass

Thursday (December 7):

7:00 AM- Mass

7:00 PM - Mass

Friday (December 8):

7:00 AM - Mass

8:30 AM - School Mass

12:00 PM - Mass

7:00 PM - Mass

Saturday (December 9):

10:00 AM - Funeral for Kevin Lee

12:30 PM - Baptism of Vincent T. Saigh, Jr.

1:30 PM - Baptism of Sophia F. Neveux

4:00 PM - Mass

6:00 PM - Mass

Sunday (December 10):

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 cannot 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.

24) SJA's Latest Parish Bulletin

Click on the image below

to download a copy of the bulletin

for December 3, 2023

25) Weekly Bulletin Mailing List

26) Detroit Catholic