Dear Friends in Christ,   Here are a few updates from our parish for the week of April 10, 2022.

1) Additional Confession Opportunities during HOLY WEEK:

As we have done for the last few weeks, we have scheduled some additional confession opportunities.  On Monday afternoon (April 11), Father Andrew and I will be available from 12:30 until 2:00 p.m., and then on Tuesday (April 12) from 5:30 until 7:00 p.m.  Our regular Saturday confession schedule will remain the same at 11:00 a.m. (even on Holy Saturday).  The Sacrament is celebrated in the Sr. Carol Center; signs are posted in the Gathering Place with further directions.

From Ascension Presents: Confession is a place of never-ending mercy and forgiveness, and is one of the most beautiful parts of our Catholic faith. But for many, it can also be a very daunting experience, especially if it’s been a long time since your last confession. Whether it’s the first time you’ve gone in a year, or it’s the first time you’ve gone in your life, God is ready and willing to forgive your sins. All we have to do is let him into our hearts. Today, Fr. Mike explains how to approach going to confession for the first time in a long time.

2) Holy Week, Triduum, and Easter Schedule:

Below is our schedule of liturgies and Masses for the Triduum and Easter Sunday. All of our liturgies and Masses will also be live-streamed at livestream.stjoan.church. Monday (April 11): 12:30 - 2:00 PM - Confessions Tuesday (April 12) 5:30 - 7:00 PM - Confessions Thursday (April 14): 7:00 PM - Mass of the Lord's Supper  Good Friday (April 15): 12:00 PM - Stations of the Cross 1:00 PM - Liturgy of the Lord's Passion Holy Saturday (April 16): 11:00 AM - Confessions 12:00 PM - Blessing of Food 8:00 PM - Easter Vigil Easter Sunday (April 17): 6:00 AM - Mass 8:00 AM - Mass 10:00 AM - Mass 12:00 PM - Mass

3) The Ascension Lenten Companion

Fr. Mark Toups, an experienced spiritual director, leads readers inward to invite the Lord to heal those areas where they need it most. He follows the same format that more than a hundred thousand people enjoyed in Advent with his popular Rejoice! journals. Readers will receive daily guidance as well as supplemental videos, to help enter more deeply into Lent and remain focused throughout the season.

Holy Week and the Triduum Explained

4) Life in the Spirit Seminar Starting April 19

5) Ukraine Relief Efforts

If you are interested in supporting the Catholic Church's relief efforts for the people of Ukraine, please click here to donate through our OSV Online Giving Platform.

Contribute Today to Help the People of Ukraine

6) This Sunday's Readings - April 10, 2022 - Pam Sunday

Readings for Palm Sunday

7) Sunday Reflections by Jeff Cavins

Jeff Cavins reflects on the readings for Palm Sunday. These readings recall the story that is at the center of our faith:  Procession with Palms: Luke 19:28-40 First Reading: Isaiah 50:4-7 Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24 Second Reading: Philippians 2:6-11 Gospel: Luke 22:14—23:56

8) Bishop Barron's Reflection for Palm Sunday

In the Palm Sunday Gospel reading proclaimed before the procession, the Lord instructs two of his disciples to go into the village and untether a donkey. If there is any protest, they are to say, “The Master has need of it.” This is true of every baptized person: the Master has need of your gifts, of you, of the whole of your life. Once we understand this principle, everything is revolutionized—and we are liberated to be of service to Christ and his people.

9) Grow+Go for Palm Sunday

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.

Grow+Go PDF for Palm Sunday

10) 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.

Donate Electronically to SJA

11) This Week's Edition of TALLer Tales

Palm Sunday Appearance: A mom and dad returned home from Church on Palm Sunday. Their little son, who was ill that day, stayed home with an older sibling. The little guy was intrigued by the palms his parents brought home. He decided to pepper his parents with questions about the palms and the Palm Sunday liturgy. They described how they started outside and then processed with the palms, almost as if in a parade, to celebrate Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. At one point in the dialogue the little guy said, “Wouldn’t you know it, the very day I stay home from Church, Jesus finally shows up.” Holy Week: Today we begin our solemn journey with the Lord. We have celebrated his entrance into Jerusalem and now we journey with him to the cross and ultimately stand as witnesses to his glorious resurrection. These sacred days are filled with beautiful liturgies that have special meaning for us as Christians. I hope and pray you and your family will make the time to attend as many of these liturgies as possible, or even watch them online at livestream.stjoan.church, because we celebrate events that changed the world and events that changed your life and mine. Many of us approach this sacred week with lots on our minds. We might be helping extended family members work through a tragedy or maybe our own family is dealing with a heavy cross right now. We all continue to watch in absolute horror at the absolutely senseless death and destruction occurring in Ukraine. As you reflect on these situations in your own life and in what is taking place in our world, we need to place all of these concerns at the foot of the cross and know that just as God had a plan for Christ and asked him to embrace the cross for a reason, God likewise has a plan and a destiny for each of us. The sacred events of this week are certainly centered on the saving reality of the Cross of Christ but it is also about the saving reality of the crosses that Christ asks us, in the name of the Father, to embrace for the world’s salvation. The Paschal Triduum: What exactly does Triduum mean? Triduum comes from two Latin words (tres and dies) meaning a space of three days. We calculate these days in the same way the Jews count days and festivals, that is, from sundown to sundown. Thus, the Triduum consists of three twenty-four hour periods. The Triduum starts with sundown on Holy Thursday with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper and concludes with evening prayer at sundown on Easter Sunday. “The liturgy we celebrate these days is far more than an objective recall of the events of first century Palestine, or even a prayerful recollection by means of which we understand and appreciate more fully what God has done for us. Despite the dramatic impact of these liturgies we do much more than dramatize what happened once in the history of salvation. More fundamentally, the liturgy these days is our present privileged experience of these same saving mysteries in Christ. Through these liturgies we are inserted into and are made sharers of the same saving deeds Christ accomplished for our salvation and sanctification. We do not observe again what Jesus accomplished; we share in the accomplishment of salvation. Through the symbols and gestures, scripture proclamation and prayers, we participate in the same redeeming actions which Christ underwent for our salvation. What Jesus accomplished through his death and resurrection is actualized and made real in the liturgy. Through the various celebrations over three days we are progressively and more intimately brought into the paschal mystery. What God accomplished in Christ continues to draw us into the love of God. This incorporation into Christ makes us the body of Christ on earth (Kevin W. Irwin, A Guide to the Eucharist and Hours: Easter, p. 14).” The liturgies we are about to celebrate are sacred indeed. They are filled with much symbolism and ritual. In celebrating the memorial of the institution of the Eucharist and the command to be of service as ritualized in the washing of the feet at the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, we enter more deeply into the paschal mystery. From hearing the proclamation of the Lord’s Passion to our veneration of the cross on Good Friday, we enter more deeply into the paschal mystery. From seeing the fire being blessed, hearing the proclamation of the Easter Exultet, to witnessing the baptism of those in the RCIA, the reception of those being brought into the Church, to our own renewal of baptismal promises where we reject Satan and profess our faith in Christ Jesus, we enter more deeply into the paschal mystery. But this entering into the paschal mystery is not just a once a year occurrence. We need to live the paschal mystery each day of our lives. We need to die to self by doing God’s will and serving others so we can rise to new life.   Living the paschal mystery is about putting God and others ahead of ourselves. Living the paschal mystery is about keeping Christ as the center of our lives.  “As we live this Christian mystery we gradually grow in our awareness and experience of the reality that the only way to live as Jesus taught us is to die to self. Indeed, in the paschal mystery dying to self and rising to new life collapse into the same reality of surrendering ourselves to allow God to work in and through us. The paschal mystery is living the rhythm of dying and rising as a people who are on a mission – with Christ we bring salvation to those who hunger for justice and truth, forgiveness and reconciliation, mercy and peace. We are a people on a mission – and this is what these days are about (Joyce Ann Zimmerman, C.PP.S., et al., ed., Living Liturgy, p. 102).” As you and your family make plans for Holy Week and Easter, please consider attending these sacred liturgies, especially those you have never experienced before. You should also consider inviting a family member, a friend, or someone who may not attend Church regularly to come along with you. The experience and prayer of the Holy Week liturgies may bring them closer to Christ and allow them to come to a fuller understanding of the saving reality and beauty of the cross of Christ. Our schedule for Holy Week is as follows:   Holy Thursday:  7:00 p.m. - Mass of the Lord’s Supper Good Friday: 12:00 p.m. - Stations of the Cross 1:00 p.m. - Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion Holy Saturday: 11:00 a.m. - Confessions; 12:00 p.m. - Blessing of Food 8:00 p.m. - Easter Vigil Easter Sunday Masses: 6:00 a.m. 8:00 a.m. 10:00 a.m. 12:00 p.m. Have a blessed and prayerful Holy Week. Let us keep one another in prayer! See you in Church!

Enjoy the week. Know of my prayers. In Christ,

gmb@sjascs.org

12) Tire Tracks in the d’Arc

From Palm to Passion: We enter today into the holiest of weeks in our Church calendar. Our journey through Holy Week is a tumultuous one. We begin today by entering into Jerusalem with Jesus and His disciples. He rides into Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover and is greeted by the crowds who hail the arrival of the Messiah. Hidden within the crowds are those who will turn against Him, those who see Him as dangerous, those who are conspiring against Him and who will willingly turn Him over to their Roman occupiers to be put to death. But Jesus arrives riding a donkey. It seems an odd choice for the King of the Jews. In the ancient Middle Eastern world, leaders rode horses if they rode to war, but donkeys if they came in peace. When Jesus arrived in Jerusalem, the Jews knew what this meant, but probably didn’t understand fully all the implications for Jesus. The prophet Zechariah had prophesied:  “Exult greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem! Behold: your king is coming to you, a just savior is he, Humble, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” They lay down palm branches before Him to pave His way, proclaiming, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.” The palm branch was a symbol of victory, triumph, peace and eternal life. Some Pharisees try to get Jesus to make the crowd stop shouting. They ask him to rebuke the people for what they’re saying — the whole “Blessed is the King” bit. The Pharisees get it. This isn’t just any phrase. This is the kind of welcome reserved for Israel’s Savior. It’s a phrase found in the Hebrew Scriptures, going back to Psalm 118, a psalm that rejoices in the Lord’s victory. The Passover meal was a celebration of God’s saving of His people in the exodus from slavery in Egypt, and the Hallel, recalling these ancient events, was sung as a part of this celebration. The Hallel included Psalm 118, the Psalm the Jews would recite at the Passover meal in just a few days time. And what might it have meant to them this time around? Now they believed that finally their Messiah, the King, who would save them from captivity in their own land at the hands of the Romans, had arrived. The Pharisees tell Jesus to stop the madness and tell the crowd to be quiet. The crowd are using incendiary language in the eyes of their Roman occupiers. Jesus doesn’t stop them, though. He says, instead, that if the people weren’t saying it then the rocks themselves would cry out. Of course, Jesus is the Messiah. He has come to Jerusalem to save His people. But the crowd has misread the situation. They are not wrong that Jesus is the Messiah, the King who has come to save them, but not salvation in the way they are anticipating it.  The people wanted salvation and success, which means, they wanted the Messiah to march into the city and get tough with the Romans. They wanted to be free from Gentile oppression, even if by force, even if by threats and plagues and the parting of the sea, as they recounted so well in their history. They wanted another exodus, one that expelled the Romans this time. Instead, what they got by Good Friday morning was a bloodied and apparently defeated man in Roman custody, rejected by their own leaders, standing next to an infamous criminal called Barabbas. They wanted an incomparable king, and they got one, but all they can see a beaten blasphemer. Or so they thought. The joyful sounds of the crowd this Palm Sunday would later be drowned-out by their stony hearts. “Blessed is the king!” would soon become “crucify him!” For this reason, there is something very unsettling about today. We read of this joyful response to Jesus, but we know the full story and we know it’s a fleeting response.  The deep tragedy of their words, of their blindness, should cause us to ask if we might have reacted any differently. How quickly our attitudes can change when things are not going our way. When the Lord, upon whom we have placed all our hope, appears to have given-up on us—when He doesn't seem to be giving us the help we’re praying for, are we sometimes tempted to assume that He is not who we thought He was? Do we ever wonder if God has abandoned us? Those are the times not to turn against the Lord, but to double-down on our faith and to remember the Cross. On the cross, in His agony, Jesus prays Psalm 22, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” This is our Psalm response for today’s mass. Maybe we want to ask this at times ourselves. We only hear this part of the Psalm from Jesus in scripture, but it is not a Psalm of the hopeless. The Psalm ends:  I will live for the Lord;  my descendants will serve you.  The generation to come will be told of the Lord,  that they may proclaim to a people yet unborn  the deliverance you have brought. Jesus will never lose trust in His Father or be deterred from carrying out His Father’s Will, no matter how things may appear to be going on the surface. We have to be willing to ride out the storms with the ultimate trust in God’s Providence, knowing that God “plays the long-game.” We ride the highs and the lows of the Passion story this week, from today’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem to the agony in the Garden and Jesus’ arrest, trial, crucifixion and burial and ultimately. But we know how the story continues… to the Resurrection on Easter Sunday. That means we can afford to live this Holy Week, and always, as a people of hope. From the lowest of lows, God is still working to bring about his plan of salvation for us. We have been saved by the cross and continued to be saved daily by His grace.  We walk this week the via dolorosa, the Way of Suffering that leads to the cross and then to the tomb, from which we rise again with Christ. The via dolorosa is a literal set of streets in Jerusalem. You can walk the path Jesus took on His way to His crucifixion, carrying His cross. Every Friday in Jerusalem, a procession is organized by the Franciscans and hundreds of people pray the Stations of the Cross along this actual route Jesus took. The procession stops at 14 Station churches and chapels, ending at Jesus’ tomb at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. I met a man there in 2014 by the name of James. James was from Livonia. (Small world!) He had given-up all he had and moved to Jerusalem to spend his days walking around the area of the Holy Sepulchre, talking to people about Christ. Maybe we’re not called to be that radical this week, but can we perhaps commit ourselves at least in some way to enter into this Holy Week in some special way? Perhaps come to the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, 12pm Stations of the Cross on Good Friday, or the Good Friday liturgy at 1pm. The deeper we enter in, the more joyful our leaving the tomb will be and greater the Resurrection will appear to us this Easter.

You are in my prayers this week. Fr. Andrew adawson@sjascs.org

13) Ascension Presents: Father Mike Schmitz

Father Mike Responds to "General Absolution" If you’re Catholic, you know the drill: we sin, we break our relationship with God, and then he offers us the incomprehensible mercy to restore that relationship with him. You can see this beautiful grace most Saturday afternoons at parishes around the world in the Sacrament of Reconciliation—or, Confession. But have you heard of “general absolution”? Is it a way to skip the confession line and get “bulk forgiveness”? Today, Fr. Mike dispels the confusion around general absolution and redirects us to the true source of reconciliation that Christ has given his Church.

14) Words on the Word: April 10, 2022 - Troubled Times There are certainly times, in this deeply troubled world, where it might seem like the lament of the psalmist is particularly applicable to our own situations. “May dogs surround me, a pack of evildoers closes in upon me; They have pierced by hands and my feet; I can count all my bones,” we pray in today’s responsorial psalm. “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” That, of course, is our collective response to the cry of the prophet Isaiah in today’s first reading: “I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting.” And that cry, we know, prefigures the suffering of Jesus recounted in the reading of the passion. It all takes on a sense of tangible urgency in news stories such as the one from Warren a few weeks ago in which a man was accused of abusing – causing serious injury to – his 3-month-old twins and a cat. At the time of this writing, the man had been arraigned but had not yet faced his preliminary examination. Regardless of the outcome of that particular situation, we’re reminded that such abuse is all-too-real these days; that good people are victims of not-so-good people all the time. “It is especially heinous when the victims are violent crime are defenseless infants and pets,” a Warren police official was quoted as saying in The Detroit News. Indeed, that is true. So we might wonder where the meaning is behind such atrocities. And where the justice is, as well. Such questions are difficult to answer. For now, as we enter Holy Week, perhaps it’s sufficient to reflect on the fact that, as dark and difficult as our individual or collective situation may seem at times, we know goodness will prevail.   © 2022, Words on the Word

15) The Bible in a Year Podcast by Father Mike Schmitz

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!

16) FORMED Pick of the Week:

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: 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. 

Sign Up for FORMED.ORG TODAY ... it's FREE!

17) Hallow App:

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.

Activate your Free Hallow Subscription Today

18) Mass Intentions for the Week:

Monday, April 11, 2022, Monday of Holy Week 7:00 a.m. Sam & Grace Valenti and Wanda Dillon Tuesday, April 12, 2022, Tuesday of Holy Week 7:00 a.m. Brad Shuder and Cornelius B. Thelen Wednesday, April 13, 2022, Wednesday of Holy Week 7:00 a.m. Joseph Fikany and for the deceased members of the Calisi Family who died in the month of April Thursday, April 14, 2022, Thursday of Holy Week 7:00 p.m. A Special Intention Saturday, April 16, 2022, Easter Vigil 8:00 p.m. Katherine Titus, the deceased members of the Walsh family, Charles & Margaret Forrester, Michael Forrester, James Forrester, Pasquale & Stella Urso, Bonnie Batche, George J. Bugarin, Richard M. Barno, Edward & Henry Blind, and Special Intentions for the Thomas Family and the J. Champine Family  Sunday, April 17, 2022, Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord 6:00 a.m. A Special Intention for Sally Cabot 8:00 a.m. For the Intentions of Saint Joan of Arc Parishioners 10:00 a.m. Arnold Langbo 12:00 p.m. Timothy Fox, George J. Bugarin, James Le Fevre, Michael Urso, the deceased members of the McQuillan Zaranek & Walters Families, Joseph & Florence Semany, Ron Lagodna, Virginia Prill, Ralph & Betty Barnowski, Frank Bradley, Nicodemus Krawczyk, Roland & Gerry Doak, John L. & Marguerite Joseph, Lois Busch, Phyllis Dunaj, Betty Jean Scrivo, and Special Intentions for the Aldo Cardosi Family, and the Rogier & Dettloff Families.

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

SJA's LIVE Stream Page

This week's LIVE Stream Schedule at St. Joan of Arc:    Monday (April 11): 7:00 AM - Mass 10:00 AM - Funeral for Carol Fay Calus (Read Obituary HERE) Tuesday (April 12): 7:00 AM - Mass 10:00 PM - Funeral for James John Schmelzle (Read Obituary HERE) 2:00 PM - Stations of the Cross with the School Wednesday (April 13): 7:00 AM - Mass Thursday (April 14): 7:00 PM - Mass of the Lord's Supper   Friday (April 15): 12:00 PM - Stations of the Cross 1:00 PM - Liturgy of the Lord's Passion Saturday (April 16): 12:00 PM - Blessing of Food Baskets 8:00 PM - Easter Vigil Sunday (April 17): 6:00 AM - Mass 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.

20) SJA's Bulletin for Sunday, April 10, 2022

Click on the image below to download a copy of the bulletin for April 10, 2022

21) Weekly Bulletin Mailing List

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. 

Bulletin Mailing List form - Requests to be ADDED or REMOVED

Read the latest from the DETROIT CATHOLIC Click on the image below.