Week of January 21, 2024

1) Rescue Project Returns This TUESDAY

2) Walking with Purpose Women's Bible Studies

Join women of our parish in the Sr. Carol Center for a coffee and to learn about the fruits of these beautiful weekly Catholic Bible studies written especially for women. All women are welcome and invited to bring a friend. Each group is doing a different study. Feel free to drop in on the first session. There's always an open seat.

Beginning January 8th, the 7 pm evening group will start a 22-week program: Discovering our Dignity. Women of the Old and New Testaments were as flawed and broken as we can be, yet the power of God worked in their lives. Discovering Our Dignity will allow you to learn from their experiences and uncover ways to deal with unwanted circumstances and deferred hopes.

On January 22nd, the 10 am morning group is starting an 11-week look at Fearless and Free, a Bible study based on the book of Ephesians. This study is ideal for those who long for wholeness of heart and are in need of freedom from past wounds. So many of us are wrestling with the reality that life isn’t easy, even when we are doing the right thing.

No previous experience is needed.

3) Presence: The Mystery of the Eucharist

Although the Eucharist appears to be simple bread and wine, it is actually the "source and summit" of the Christian life. Presence: The Mystery of the Eucharist explores the truth and beauty of Christ's real presence in the Eucharist, from its origins in Sacred Scripture to its profound role in the life of the Church and her members. it is the crescendo of the entire story of salvation.

Learn about the truth and beauty of Christ's real presence in the Eucharist, from its origins in Sacred Scripture to its profound role in the life of the Church and her members.

If you missed any of the episodes, you may watch it by clicking one of the links below. The videos are located on FORMED.ORG. Because we have a parish subscription, you can sign up for FORMED for free; just search for St. Joan of Arc Parish when asked to find "your parish."

4) New Men's Fellowship Bible Study

5) American Red Cross Blood Drive - Next SUNDAY

Our parish will be sponsoring an American Red Cross Blood Drive on Sunday, January 28, from 8:00 AM until 2:00 PM in Emmaus Hall of the Sr. Carol Center.  

If you are a regular donor, we thank you and hope to see you there. If you've never given before, it takes a little over an hour to donate and can save many lives. 

The American Red Cross will not be taking walk-ins and you must have an appointment. 

To make an appointment, click on the button below or call John Staperfenne at 248-789-8274.

Please help save a life and become a Red Cross Blood Donor!

6) World Marriage Day Dinner - Sunday, February 18, 2024

7) Ascension's Bible and Catechism App

8) Holy Hour on Thursdays

9) This Sunday's Readings: January 21, 2024 - The 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

10) Sunday Reflections by Jeff Cavins

In this week’s Encountering the Word video for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jeff Cavins draws the connections between fishing and evangelizing. The readings are:

First Reading: Jonah 3:1-5, 10

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 7:29-31

Alleluia: Mark 1:15

Gospel: Mark 1:14-20

11) Bishop Barron's Sunday Sermon

Listen to the Voice of God!



Friends, though the book of Jonah is only a few pages long, there is something inexhaustible about it. It’s a biblical commonplace that God speaks to certain people and gives them missions, as he does with Jonah in our first reading. But God also speaks to us all the time, precisely in the voice of our conscience. Do you listen to the voice of God or not? Do you listen to what your conscience is telling you or not? If you do, you become a vehicle of grace for yourself and for all those around you. If you don’t, chaos ensues.

12) Grow+Go

13) 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.

14) This Week's Edition of TALLER Tales

The Missing Christmas Gift Bag: I was a complete loser when it came to getting Christmas gifts for my family this year. Most years, I’m on top of my game so I’m not frantically trying to buy stuff a few days before Christmas. But this year was different for some reason. Even my mom constantly warned me about the last day to shop to get things in time for Christmas.

Most years, I will buy some religious Christmas Tree ornament on top of other things Santa may want to fill those gift bags with. I try to hunt down unique or different religiously themed ornaments.

As you may know, our family gathers on Christmas Eve at the Parish Center immediately after the 4 PM Mass, and then we gather on Christmas Day in Allenton. Our immediate family will do our gift exchange on Christmas Day, and then the rest of the family will start showing up for dinner, games, and chit-chat that often fills that night. Then we do it all again on New Year’s Day with family and extended family for another big party. Every year, the desserts and some hors d’oeuvres, first found at the Parish Center on Christmas Eve, find their way to our Christmas Day gathering, and then those leftovers find their way to our New Year’s Day Gathering. We have it down to a science!

On Christmas Day, long after our gift exchange, I noticed the same Christmas Tree ornament I gave to my niece McKenzie was on J.J. and Kerry’s Christmas Tree. I did a double-take but thought Kerry may have bought the same ornament for their tree. I didn’t think anything more about it until later that evening when we discovered that little June (a 3-year-old) was joyfully going through the Christmas gift bags, saw the ornament, and put it on J.J. and Kerry’s tree. So it WAS the ornament I gave McKenzie! Little June was doing a little re-gifting herself!

But then the mystery deepened. Later that evening, long after most started the journey home, text messages started flying to figure out who may have taken the gift bag into which McKenzie consolidated all her gifts. It happened to be the bag I gave her with the ornament. People checked the stuff that went home with them, but the bag was nowhere to be found. A few texts continued throughout the week, hoping to find the missing gift bag. But the bag was missing in action, and we figured the only person who may have known what happened was little June, and that 3-year-old wasn’t saying much! A full-scale investigation ensued.

The mystery was finally solved on New Year’s Day. As the boxes of all the desserts, cookies, and candies from Christmas Day were being brought out and placed on our most popular New Year’s Day dessert table, the infamous missing bag was found; it had been placed with the boxes of food that would travel to our New Year’s Day Party! My hunch is that little June decided to decorate the Christmas Tree, grabbed the gift bag, got distracted, and went and grabbed a cookie or something on the dessert table! But I’m surprised all this happened without me knowing it, as I’m often, and this may come as a complete shock to you, “guarding” the dessert table with great intensity! But then again, little June is probably one-tenth my size and simply went under the radar screen … or I was too busy “inspecting” rather than “guarding” the delicacies on that table!

A Day of Prayer and Penance for Life: Monday marks the anniversary of the infamous ROE vs. WADE and DOE vs. BOLTON decisions that rocked the foundation of human life in our country. With those two decisions, a woman’s right to “choice” outweighed an innocent child’s right to life. It’s incredible to think of how many abortions have taken place in our country alone (visit www.numberofabortions.com to see the staggering numbers). With the annual observance of these Supreme Court decisions, tens of thousands of people gather in Washington, D.C., for the annual MARCH FOR LIFE, which took place on Friday this year.

I remember quite well how surprised I was by the sheer number of people who gathered in Washington and equally surprised by the age of those who gathered for this annual event. This event and the two masses at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception surrounding the March for Life were always highlights for me while I lived in our nation’s capital. Talk about people witnessing to their faith. Talk about dedicated people! I often thought it was an aging crowd that gathered at these events. Was I wrong! The March for Life, both Masses for Life at the Shrine and the Youth Rally are full of people of every age, with the younger people in the crowd being a majority. It was always a great celebration of the Church and a great time of year to witness to our faith! The Right to Life movement continues to be strong and active.

We must continue to pray for a greater respect for human life in all stages, not just during the March for Life but throughout the year. I hope and pray you will take the opportunity on Monday to make it a day of prayer and penance for life! I hope you will take the time to look through the prolife material on the United States Conference of Bishops (USCCB) website (usccb.org) and help teach and catechize your family about the importance of being a people dedicated to the Gospel of LIFE!

Project Rachel: We also need to pray for those many people who somehow were touched by an abortion experience and are now seeking healing and reconciliation with God, themselves and/or their families. Project Rachel is a beautiful healing ministry within the Church for people in these situations. If you have been touched by an abortion experience and seek healing, please call the Project Rachel Hotline (888-RACHEL5 / 888-722-4355) for confidential assistance or information. You can also send an email to projectrachel@aod.org. More information about Project Rachel and Rachel’s Vineyard can be found at aod.org/project-rachel.

End of the Year Tax Statements: With the many changes in the tax laws, itemizing deductions does not benefit as many people as in the past. As a result, many people do not need or benefit from the usual end-of-the-year tax statements we once generated. Please consult with your tax preparer to determine if you still need a contribution statement from SJA. If you need a contribution statement for your 2023 income taxes, please complete the online form at sjascs.org/taxstatements. We will generate a statement for you toward the end of January. Those who contributed $2,000 or more will automatically receive a contribution statement. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Parish Center at 586-777-3670 or info@sjascs.org.

Enjoy the week. Know of my prayers!

In Christ,

15) Along the Way with Father Adam

Read Your Bible!

This weekend we celebrate “Word of God Sunday.” A reminder for us of the necessity of reading Sacred Scripture. When we see the Bible as God’s love letter to us, wouldn’t we want to read it, reflect on it, and live it? Here are five reasons to read the Bible.

1. Get to know God. The Bible is not really a book; it’s a library. Its 73 books were composed over the course of many centuries by a variety of authors with different backgrounds, personalities, and purposes. Each book explores who God is from a slightly different point of view. As readers of Scripture, we discover new truths about God at every turn. Some of these truths will resonate with us more than others, and some will strike us more profoundly at various times during our lives. 

The variety in Scripture serves us well as we come to know our God, who is both eternally simple and utterly complex. Here in his word, God speaks through human beings, telling us what he most wants us to know about himself. Just as in our human relationships we spend time with others to get to know them better, in Scripture we are given the opportunity to spend time with God and, in doing so, become his friend.

2. Get to know yourself. St. Gregory the Great wrote that Scripture “is set before the eyes of the mind like a mirror, that we may see our inward person in it; for therein we learn the deformities; therein we learn the beauties that we possess.” 

The more time we spend with the Bible, the more we will discover ourselves within its pages. We will recognize ourselves as made in God’s image; we will see our own impatience in the rebellions of God’s people; we will experience the emotions of the psalms; we will stand by while Christ is crucified; and we will rejoice to find him risen. We must never make the mistake of thinking that the Bible is simply a book about God. It is more accurately a book about God and human beings.

3. Improve your relationships. Because the Bible reveals both God and humanity, it is a precious tool in our lives as we navigate relationships both human and divine. Relationships are the foundation of human life. They give life purpose, they bring us meaning, and they have the potential to remain anchors for us in a world that is constantly changing. The wisdom of the Scriptures can guide us as we learn to sacrifice, forgive, and love one another. (You can find a wonderful example in Colossians 3:12–14.)

4. Be comforted. As the centuries pass and the words of Scripture become ever more ancient, the comfort they bring to believers never changes. Whether it is the proclamation of the psalmist that God is near (see Psalm 139) or the promise of Christ that even every hair on our heads has been counted (see Luke 12:7), the words of Scripture proclaim to us a God who will never leave us nor forsake us (see Deuteronomy 31:6), hides us faithfully in the shadow of his wings (see Psalm 17:8), and will finally wipe every tear from our eyes and declare an end to death, depression, disease, and all the things that plague us (see Revelation 21:4). 

5. Be challenged. If we don’t feel challenged in our lives, one possible solution might be to read more Scripture! In both his word and our consciences, God prods us forward. He asks more of us than we thought possible. He loves us just as we are, but at the same time, he challenges us to be more. 

If we aren’t feeling that push, that challenge, on a regular basis, we can open our Bibles and sincerely ask God to speak to our hearts. Try reading the Sermon on the Mount (see Matthew 5—7) from start to finish; there is certainly something here to challenge every reader!

Fortunately, the challenge of Scripture goes hand in hand with all of its benefits, including knowing God better, knowing ourselves better, improving our relationships, and being comforted by God’s word. Let’s open our Bibles and read. We can do this!

Blessings!

Fr. Adam

anowak@sjascs.org

16) Ascension Presents: Father Mike Schmitz

What If God Doesn’t Exist?

What if there were no God? What does that idea look like if you follow it to its logical conclusion? It ain’t pretty.

Today, Fr. Mike shows us that meaning, dignity, and purpose come from the one who created everything. And the good news is that he made you on purpose, for a reason. And you matter.

17) Words on the Word: January 21, 2024 - What Next?  

Who knows, really, where this still-new year is going to take us? Perhaps there will be difficulty, disaster, crisis. Perhaps there will be emerging peace, prosperity, and calm. Or perhaps, like most years, there will be some combination of the two. That, of course, seems like the most likely scenario.

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t any number of so-called experts in the world who would suggest they already know the answer. Some of them, to be sure, are professional analysts who, for example, study the areas of macroeconomics or geopolitical conditions. And others are, perhaps, less reliable sources. 

Some media reported a few weeks ago on the predictions included in an almanac that 2024 will be what they called “a tumultuous year.”

What does that mean?

The publishers suggested that could mean problems like last year’s Canadian wildfires will repeat. In addition to natural disasters, they said, man-made problems could be more intense, such as car accidents. 

Clearly, almost anyone could predict a bit of almost anything and, in retrospect, find instances in which they turn out to be correct. But one might suggest it would be foolhardy to base one’s life decisions on the predictions of less-than-scientific, less-than-expert sources.

After all, in the final analysis, it’s worthwhile to note that it’s only our orientation to the supremacy of God that will ensure we live by the truth and obtain the real peace and happiness he provides.

“Teach me your ways, O Lord,” we pray in today’s psalm response. “Your ways, O Lord, make known to me; teach me your paths, guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior.”

And if we follow that sage advice, it’s reasonable to predict that this year – and the entirety of our lives – will be rightly ordered.

© 2023 Words on the Word

18) This WEEK on FORMED:

19) Hallow App:

20) Mass Intentions for the Week:

Monday, January 22, 2024, Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children (White/Purple) 

7:00 am, Zenaida de Leon

Tuesday, January 23, 2024, Weekday; Saint Vincent, Deacon, and Martyr; Saint Marianne Cope, Virgin (Green/Red/White)

7:00 am, Lee Dunn

Wednesday, January 24, 2024, Saint Frances de Sales, Bishop, Religious Founder and Doctor, (White)

7:00 am, Pedro Silva

6:00 pm, George J. Bugarin

Thursday, January 25, 2024, The Conversion of St. Paul, Apostle (White)

7:00 am, Mary and Frank Fleming

Friday, January 26, 2024, Saint Timothy and Saint Titus, Bishops (White)

7:00 am Special Intention for Father Rich on his 65th Birthday

Saturday, January 27, 2024, Vigil for the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Green)

4:00 pm, Bonnie Batche, Joe Basirico, Thomas Michael Kotas, and Special Intentions for the J. Champine Family, the Thomas Family, for Alison Reslow, Pam Haisenleder, Lorraine Jonas, and Linda Frank.

6:00 pm, Angeline and Joseph Calus

Sunday, January 28, 2024, The Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Green)

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

10:00 am Guido Regelbrugge

12:00 pm, Bert Dygert, Hugo Calisi, Duane Gore, George J. Bugarin, the deceased members of the Urso & DeFazio Families, Larry Minnie, Shirley Curcuru, John & Bernadette Frankland, Ben, Becky and Ann Wickard, Thomas Egan, and Special Intentions for Alison Reslow, Pam Haisenleder, Lorraine Jonas, and Linda Frank.

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

This week's LIVE Stream

Schedule at St. Joan of Arc:

Monday (January 22)

7:00 AM - Mass

Tuesday (January 23):

7:00 AM - Mass

8:30 AM - Mass

Wednesday (January 24):

7:00 AM - Mass

10:00 AM - Funeral for Robert McNally (Read Obituary HERE)

6:00 PM - Mass

Thursday (January 25):

7:00 AM - Mass

10:00 AM - Funeral for Frances Elaine Cipriano (Read Obituary HERE)

7:00 PM - Holy Hour

Friday (January 26):

7:00 AM - Mass

Saturday (January 27):

4:00 PM - Mass

6:00 PM - Mass

Sunday (January 28):

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.

22) SJA's Latest Parish Bulletin

Click on the image below

to download a copy of the bulletin

for January 21, 2024

23) Weekly Bulletin Mailing List

24) Detroit Catholic