Dear Friends in Christ,
Here are a few updates from our parish for the week of December 5, 2021.
|
|
1) Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception - A Holy Day of Obligation |
|
This Wednesday is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. Our mass schedule for the holy day will be:
Tuesday, December 7 at 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, December 8 at 7:00 a.m., 12:00 noon, and 7:00 p.m.
As is our usual practice now, all of these masses will also be live-streamed.
Surprisingly, many people think that the Immaculate Conception has something to do with the birth of Christ. It doesn’t! 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. CCC #490: “To become the mother of the Savior, Mary ‘was enriched by God with gifts appropriate to such a role.’ The angel Gabriel at the moment of the annunciation salutes her as ‘full of grace.’ In fact, in order for Mary to be able to give the free assent of her faith to the announcement of her vocation, it was necessary that she be wholly borne by God’s grace.” CCC # 491: “Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, ‘full of grace’ through God, was redeemed from the moment of her conception. That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854: The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin.”
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) You Don't Know Jack ... About the Immaculate Conception |
|
Think you know what the Immaculate Conception is all about? Think again. Most people and even most Catholics tend to get this one wrong. Watch Fr. Jack Collins, CSP, hit the streets to talk to parents and their children about what is and what is not the Immaculate Conception. |
|
3) Taize Prayer Holy Hour - This Thursday at 7 PM |
|
4) Advent Resources:
There are a ton of Advent resources online. Here are a few to consider:
A parish in Iowa has a pretty comprehensive link to a ton of online Advent resources. Click HERE to access their Advent page.
|
|
5) Join us for a Special Holy Hour - Thursday, December 16 at 7PM |
|
6) Calling all Children for Two Special Christmas Events! |
|
Children of the parish are invited to participate in and share their joy during two upcoming events:
-
A special Holy Hour with Nativity Night - 7 pm, Thursday, Dec 16 [Grades K and up for angels and Grade 2 and up for a few other roles. Practice is at 4 pm, the same day in the church. Children of all ages are welcome to attend.] The evening concludes with a special visit from St. Nicholas!
-
Christmas Children's Choir (led by our music director Ms. Catherine Thomas) for 4 pm mass on Christmas Eve, Friday, December 24 [Grades 2 and older. There are two remaining practices, all at 11am - on Saturday, December 18th, and Thursday, December 23rd.]
Sign-ups for each are below.
There's also a spot for parent help. (All parent/adult volunteers must have taken Protecting God's Children.)
Note - when you use the sign-up tool, your name will appear first - please just add your child's name and age after under "sign-up someone else." God bless you!
|
|
Nativity Night - December 16 at 7 PM
Children 5 and older are invited to be angels to fill our church with light! We also need parent help for the rehearsal and event. You must have taken Protecting God's Children.
Help Needed:
Angels
Wise Men (grade 2 and older)
Shepherds (grade 2 and older)
Parent Helpers (must have taken Protecting God's Children)
|
|
Christmas Children's Choir
Directed by our music director Catherine Thomas. Practices are Dec 18, and 23 at 11 am. Grades 2 and up. We also need a few parents to commit to helping.
Help Needed:
Choir
Parent Help (must have taken Protecting God's Children)
|
|
7) SJA's CSA Update as of December 5, 2021 |
|
I am grateful to those who have already contributed to CSA 2021. As of today, we have $205,276 in pledges and gifts toward our $217,002 goal ($197,316 has already been paid thus far toward our total pledged amount). This amount represents gifts from 579 families (we have 3,284 families registered). We have thus achieved 95% of our goal!
Here is a breakdown by gift range:
$2,500+ (8)
$1,000+ (35)
$500+ (49)
$250+ (109)
$100+ (217)
$75+ (16)
$50+ (74)
$25+ (43)
$10+ (24)
$0+ (3)
As stated above, the easiest way to give is electronically by clicking on the button above. If you wish to give by check, feel free to contact the Parish Center and we will mail out an envelope and related material.
|
|
8) This Sunday's Readings - December 5, 2021 |
|
9) Jeff Cavins: Encountering the Word - Reflections on the Sunday Readings |
|
Jeff Cavins reflects on the readings for the Second Sunday of Advent:
Reading 1: BAR 5:1-9
Responsorial Psalm: PS 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6
Reading 2: PHIL 1:4-6, 8-11
Gospel: LK 3:1-6
|
|
10) Grow+Go for the 2nd Sunday of Advent |
|
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.
|
|
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.
|
|
12) This Week's Edition of TALLer Tales |
|
Getting LOST … at the Cemetery: Every November, my parents, as well as my sister Jackie and I, would travel to Resurrection Cemetery and put down grave blankets at my maternal grandparents’ graves as well as my Aunt Karen’s grave (my Mom’s sister died from complications resulting from scleroderma in 1998). The journey ALWAYS includes lots of laughs because of things that would happen or go wrong (remember, it’s Clark Griswald at work here) as well as lots of sharing of memories. However, this year was much different as it was the first year the journey was without our dad. Instead, we were placing a grave blanket on his grave for the first time in our annual November ritual.
My Mom, sister, and I all decided we would meet at the cemetery. I went and picked up the grave blankets at Diegel’s Greenhouse in Shelby Township. The Diegel Family owns a huge greenhouse on 25 Mile Road just around the corner from my parent’s condo. I suggested that my Mom drive separately only because I was using our parish truck to haul the four grave blankets, and the ride in the truck isn’t so smooth. That left my sister, Mrs. Jackie “Directionally Challenged” Scheuer, by herself. Do you see where this is going?
My Mom and I got to the cemetery about the same time. So, I got out of the truck and hopped into her car. I was already anticipating calling Jackie and seeing if she wanted me to meet her at the gate and “escort” her to the graves. But my Mom and I got talking and I forgot about my idea. As time went on, my Mom and I stopped at one point and said, “Uh-oh, Jackie must be lost. She was nowhere in sight. We were on the lookout for her car but didn’t see anything close to her red vehicle. So I made a call to her.
As soon as Jackie answered, she said, “DARN IT, I was hoping to find you guys before you called, thinking I was lost. I ALMOST made it.” “Are you even at the cemetery yet,” I sheepishly asked. She started to laugh. “Yes, I got that far, but I’ve been driving around for a while trying to find Mom’s car and the truck. But I think I see you now. I was soooo close!” Jackie eventually pulled up behind us and joined the “Grave Blanket Party.”
I then gathered all of my supplies and took one of the grave blankets from the truck. After that, my Mom and I started walking. Jackie also took one of the grave blankets and started to walk. HOWEVER, Jackie wasn’t paying too much attention that she had slightly wandered away from us. She wasn’t far, but her trajectory was taking her far off course. We were on somewhat the same “horizontal plane,” so to speak, but she was maybe 30 feet away from us. As my Mom and I were approaching our family section of graves, we could hear Jackie say loudly, “Look at Dad’s grave. It’s still sunken in a bit. I can’t believe they haven’t fixed it yet!” Jackie was talking away, not realizing she was about 30 feet away from us. To her defense, she was carrying one of the large grave blankets, so it would have been easy to lose sight of your fellow “pilgrims” on this annual November journey to the cemetery.
|
|
We watched Jackie and listened to her for a few seconds. My Mom and I both turned to one another and just smiled. Then, being the typical big brother, I shouted out, “JACKIE … we’re over here … that’s not Dad’s grave!” She was somewhat startled and finally turned toward us. The look on her face was priceless, and we all started to laugh. This was SO Jackie! Where I could be the quintessential Clark Griswald, I think my sister Jackie could be the quintessential Lucille Ball!
Yes, it was a different journey this year without Dad. But we still remembered, still prayed, and still laughed as we always have done in the past. Some things never change! AND, I’m more convinced than ever that my sister Jackie needs a full-time On Star assistant … or something … to get her from one place to another … even at a cemetery! Oh my! YES, some things NEVER change!
|
|
Happy Advent. Enjoy the week. Know of my prayers!
In Christ,
|
|
13) Tire Tracks in the d’Arc |
|
Filling The Valleys, Knocking Down The Hills: “How I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer: that your love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of perception, to discern what is of value, so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.”
If you wanted to define the road to becoming a saint, I think St. Paul has hit the nail on the head today….. “that your love may increase…. to discern what is of value….”
In these pre-Christmas weeks, there are voices all over the place telling us what is of value….. but there aren’t too many of them we can trust – not if we’re interested in what is of any real value. Most of them are not concerned with our eternal salvation.
The readings today are urging us to be ready, to be prepared for the arrival of the one who really matters. And to do that, we must take the time to take stock of our priorities and values. If you want to know where your priorities lie, look at your calendar and your credit card statements. Whatever we profess to be important to us, how we spend our time and money tells us the truth.
My dad and I don’t always value the same things. My dad worked for the railroads in England for years. He was reading Thomas the Tank Engine stories to me when I was 2 hours old! He had an in-depth knowledge of all things railroad-related, including a encyclopedic knowledge of timetables, and it was a great disappointment to him that I wasn’t that interested. But as a student, away at college, it was pretty handy because I travelled across the country to college and back, for free.
But without fail, every time I was heading back to school, my dad would wait until the night before and then ask me what route I was taking. And I’d say something like, “the 6:30 direct to Exeter, change trains for Plymouth. Easy.”
My dad would wait a moment and then say, “Hmmm…..” And he’d go silent and wait……. “WHAT, DAD??!!!”
“Well,” he’d say, “y’ know, you could always take the 6:30, but get off at Doncaster, change platforms, go to Manchester Victoria - you can walk from there over to Salford station and get the 9:26 train to Manchester Piccadilly, Platform six…
….And then go on to Birmingham. You’ll have to change at Glouchester, but as long as the Glouchester train is on time, the Birmingham train will take you direct to Plymouth and you should get there 3 minutes earlier than the Exeter train. But of course, you’ll need to reserve your seat…….... I could’ve done that for you if you’d asked!” …(SIGH)… “THANKS, DAD!!! Where would I be without you….?” The perfect travel itinerary for the one, long-awaited day of the Millennium that all the planets align, and the railroads actually run as advertised.
My dad and I just had a different sense of priorities where this trip was concerned. I was only interested in making sure I arrived in the way that assured the best chance of success. Should my dad’s NASA-conceived logistical operations plan actually pay-off, I’m not sure that the extra 3 minutes of my life he’d gained me wouldn’t have been spend at the station, filling-out a lost baggage claim from all the train changing.
In the gospel today, Luke presents a stark contrast. Here we meet John the Baptist, wandering around the desert. As Luke does in each of the first 3 chapters of his Gospel, he sets the story in its historical setting, but here he really lays it on thick with all these names of powerful authority figures. Luke wants us to know this really happened, “Go check the history text books,” he’s saying. But then, with almost comic irony, he says, “the Word of God came to John… in the desert.” Of all people, God has made a prophet of this simple, strange drifter. Throw away the old way, the old order is done.
John is the pivot-point on which the New Testament turns from the prophesies of the old Testament into this new era, when the prophecies will now come to fruition, and God will come to rescue his people from the grip of rejection and death, as Baruch prophesied.
Baruch is predicting a return to glory for Jerusalem after the Babylonian Exile – “God is leading Israel in joy,” He says. John comes to usher in God in the flesh, and as he preaches, he repeats the words of Isaiah, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.”
Prepare the way – prepare for how God is coming to save you. For Luke, this reference to “ the way” becomes the way of discipleship. And when he writes the Acts of the Apostles, “the Way” will become the name of the growing Christian movement, the Church community made-up of both Jews and Gentiles.
So what is the way in which we are to prepare for the coming of the Savior? Both John and Baruch refer to making low the mountains, and filling-in the valleys and gorges. In the Jewish scriptures, high mountains were often an image of arrogance and opposition to God, perhaps because they were often associated with pagan worship and sacrifice. Valleys, and ravines were also associated with sin. The images allude to the need for the follower of the new Savior to level-out the landscapes to prepare an easy road for the King to come. Repentance of sinful ways is needed and human pride must be brought down before God can reach those in exile with His saving power.
Somewhere between the two extremes of the mountains and the valleys in our lives, those things we have prioritized or under-valued, there is a straight and level path to be found—a balance between the two.
Advent is our opportunity to fill-in the valleys wherever we need to place greater value – time with family around the table together, weekly mass as a family, our time in prayer. And it’s a time to knock down the mountains wherever our priorities are misplaced. As you journey through the next 2 or 3 weeks of Advent, “discern what is of value,” as St. Paul says. Remove the obstacles, and make a road in yourself, that Christ might arrive.
It might take an extra 3 minutes, maybe longer. But levelling the ground of our lives this Advent, removing some of the complexities of the road we’ve laid between us and God, will prepare us not just for the coming of Christ at Christmas, but give us a more direct route to His heart, and He to ours.
|
|
You are in my prayers this week.
Fr. Andrew
|
|
14) Words on the Word: December 5, 2021 - Discerning Value
What do we value most?
People answer many different ways. Some say family. Some friends. Some their faith. Some say their health and well-being.
All good answers, to be sure.
In reality, however, many people might place more value on their career. Or their home. Or their annual vacations, or their car or investments. Some people increasingly are placing value in cryptocurrency, which is gaining more prominence and understanding.
For those new to the concept, cryptocurrency is a completely digital form of currency independent of any government or other central authority. Its value, for those who are proponents, is primarily that it is immune to outside political forces. Cryptocurrency has increasingly been in the headlines as individuals and others address significant inflation, among other reasons.
As with other investments and tools of commerce, there will be proponents and opponents of the particulars. One person’s risk, as they say, is another person’s opportunity. One person’s safe haven is another person’s dead end. To each his own.
That said, though, as we proceed through the Advent season, the good news is there always has been – and always will be – profound and eternal value in the salvation of Christ. That is never inflated or deflated, and, most importantly, never subject to manipulation.
“And this is my prayer,” St. Paul says to the Philippians in today’s second reading. “That your love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of perception, to discern what is of value, so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.”
Christmas is just three weeks away. Are we investing the time to discern what is of value?
© 2021 Words on the Word
|
|
15) Ascension Presents with Father Mike Schmitz: |
|
Mary and Her Immaculate Conception
Truly loving Mary will never lessen our faith in God, or take attention away from Christ. Here’s why:
The Church has 4 dogma’s regarding our Blessed Mother. They are…
- Jesus gave Mary to all of us as our Mother during his crucifixion
- Mary was immaculately conceived without original sin
- Mary was assumed into Heaven after the resurrection of Christ
- Mary was a virgin before, during, and after the birth of Christ
Today’s video is focusing on the second dogma dealing with Mary’s immaculate conception. It’s Mary’s preservation of soul that made it possible for Christ to be conceived in her through the Holy Spirit. So if Mary was able to be saved from original sin, why wasn’t I? The answer is simple: everyone has a role to play in the plan of God, but our role is different from Mary’s.
God gives us everything we need to accomplish the role he’s entrusted to us. We are all born with specific and unique gifts, talents, and graces that make us who we are. There may be a lot of different things that we want to do, and maybe we’ve already done some of those things, but there are specific things we were made to do.
The immaculate conception not only shows us the love God has for our salvation and our lives, but it also shows that he will give us everything we need to do the things we were called to do: the very purpose for our existence. If God could immaculately conceive Mary without original sin in the womb of Saint Anne, think about how many graces he can bestow upon us!
This feast day is an opportunity to glorify God and thank him for all he has given us, and all he gave Mary so she could answer the call of Blessed Mother. The more we learn about and love her, the more we see the beauty and intentionality of Christ in our lives.
|
|
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.
|
|
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.
|
|
18) This Week on St. Joan of Arc LIVE: |
|
This week's LIVE Stream
Schedule at St. Joan of Arc:
Monday (December 6):
7:00 AM - Mass
Tuesday (December 7):
7:00 AM - Mass
7:00 PM - Vigil Mass for the Immaculate Conception
Wednesday (December 8):
7:00 AM - Mass
8:30 AM - School Mass
12:00 PM - Mass
7:00 PM - Mass
Thursday (December 9):
7:00 AM - Mass
Friday (December 10):
7:00 AM - Mass
Saturday (December 11):
12:30 PM - Baptism of Lucas M. Palermo
1:30 PM - Baptism of Isabella R. Cornett
2:30 PM - Baptism of Emerson Marie Mutrynowski
4:00 PM - Mass
6:00 PM - Mass
Sunday (December 12):
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.
|
|
19) SJA's Bulletin for December 5, 2021 |
|
Click on the image below
to download a copy of our
Bulletin for December 5, 2021
The 2nd Sunday of Advent
|
|
20) 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.
|
|
Read the latest from the DETROIT CATHOLIC
Click on the image below.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
