Dear Friends in Christ,
Here are a few updates from our parish for the week of January 30, 2022.
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1) SJA School Open House WinterFest: This THURSDAY |
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2) School Open House Video |
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Watch this 2-minute video to learn more about SJA School! |
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3) Healing Service THIS FRIDAY NIGHT at 7 PM |
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What: Healing Service. Jesus healed many people in the Scriptures, and through the Holy Spirit, is still healing people today!
When: Friday, February 4th at 7:00 pm
Where: St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church (22412 Overlake, St. Clair Shores, MI)
What to Expect: Praise and Worship, proclamation of the Gospel, teaching on healing, corporate prayer for healing, individual prayer teams
Who should come: Anyone and everyone! Those in need of physical healing, as well as those seeking to know more about
God’s love and power to heal are invited to come and see
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4) The Chosen Season TWO Watch Party ... It's NOT too late to Register! |
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Please know you can join us anytime. You did not have to watch all the previous sessions to join in on any of the discussions. Click on the image below for more information or to register. |
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5) Vocations Evening Prayer and Dinner with Archbishop Vigneron |
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Do you know of someone that might be thinking of a priestly vocation? If so, ask them to consider attending the March 23, 2022, evening prayer and dinner with Archbishop Vigneron. Click on the image below for further details. |
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6) This Sunday's Readings - January 30, 2022 |
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7) Jeff Cavins: Encountering the Word - Reflections on the Sunday Readings |
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Jeff Cavins reflects on the readings for the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time:
First Reading: Jeremiah 1:4-5, 17-19
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 71:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 15-17
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:31—13:13
Gospel: Luke 4:21-30
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8) Grow+Go for the 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time |
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Grow+Go, content is designed to help you understand what it means to be an evangelizing disciple of Christ. Using the Sunday Scriptures as the basis for reflection, Grow+Go offers insight into how we can all more fully GROW as disciples and then GO evangelize, fulfilling Christ's Great Commission to "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 28:19) The concept behind the weekly series is to make discipleship and evangelization simple, concrete, and relatable.
Click on the button or image below to download a PDF copy of this Sunday's Grow+Go.
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9) Giving to SJA:
I'm truly grateful for all of your support of SJA during this pandemic. Your support means so much. The increase in electronic giving has been tremendous. Giving electronically, whether on a one-time or recurring basis is pretty simple. For more information on online giving, please click on the following button.
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10) This Week's Edition of TALLer Tales |
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Regifting Gone Wrong: Throughout the year, I keep my eyes open for what I believe will be great Christmas gifts for my Mom and sisters. When I find that great gift or a great deal on something I think they will like, I’ll buy five or six of whatever it is with the intent that the extras beyond what I give to my Mom and sisters will go to others that are on my list for Christmas giving. This year, for example, I found a beautiful and unique canvas painting of the Nativity that became THE gift of Christmas 2021! I was so impressed with this canvas painting (and the deal I got for them) that I bought twelve of them! After all the Christmas gifting was done, I had five left that I stashed away for future gifting.
One of my problems with my Christmas gifting methodology and my “storehouse” of future gifts is that I don’t always remember who got what in previous years. So, for all I know, some lucky person may have gotten the same Christmas ornament or gift a couple of times because I had extras in my “storehouse.” I mentioned Christmas ornaments because I’m also famous for hunting down unique religious-themed Christmas ornaments to give as gifts. I will admit, though, it’s become increasingly difficult to find religious-themed Christmas ornaments at some of the major retailers. Sure, you’re able to find SOME religious-themed ornaments, but they are now in the minority compared to all the other types of ornaments out there! You name the cause or theme, and there’s some Christmas ornament created for it. So, the point here is that when I find something I believe my Mom and sisters will like or when I think I’ve found the perfect Christmas ornament at a great deal, I’ll buy many of them.
Now that the story has been “teed up,” I can share a regifting experience gone wrong.
Our family gathered for dinner on Tuesday, January 4th, for my sister Jackie’s birthday. After we sang “Happy Birthday” and “May the Dear Lord Bless You,” we presented Jackie with her birthday cards and gifts. After Jackie went through the family ceremony of reading her cards and opening her gifts, she handed my sister Cindy a package. In front of all of us, Jackie proceeded to tell Cindy that she forgot to give her a Christmas gift this year. Jackie told everyone that as she was putting away her Christmas decorations, she saw this item downstairs in what she calls her “Christmas Decoration Area Black Hole.” She was confident she intended to give this gift to Cindy this year but forgot. Cindy dutifully unwrapped the gift. It was a Lenox Peanuts figurine set. I thought the set looked vaguely familiar, but I didn’t give a second thought to it. Cindy quietly said, “I already have one of these!” I remember thinking to myself, “Cindy, you’re supposed to say that with your INSIDE voice!” At this point, Jackie was confused. There was a bunch of bantering going back and forth across the table until our Mom, the Queen of remembering ALL things, piped up, “Don’t you remember, Mike gave that same set to each of us a couple of years ago. Each of us got the same set. So that gift was from Mike to you.” My Mom then reminded Jackie that it was on one of our summer excursions to Frankenmuth when we spotted the set at the Lenox store at Birch Run. With my Mom’s explanation, it was all coming back to me. I saw the set first at the store but found it on Lenox’s online site for nearly 75% off. Because of the great deal, I bought four of them; my Mom and sisters were then recipients of this cute little figurine set that following Christmas.
Once the laughter died down as a result of what was happening, Jackie tried, but failed miserably, to explain now why she was (unknowingly) regifting this set to Cindy. What was even more amusing is that until our Mom piped up and reminded us all that I was the one who bought the Peanuts sets and that she and the girls were recipients, we would have had no clue this was a regifting scenario at all! What short memories we have! And, oh, the dangers of regifting … especially when you regift something to someone in front of the person who gave you the gift in the first place (even though he himself forgot he bought them). So, back to the Christmas Decoration Area Black Hole it went, I’m sure. Let’s see if the Peanuts figurine set reappears next year! I guess I better also remember who were the recipients of this year’s Nativity canvas painting, just in case someone tries regifting that gift in the future! But, I guess it doesn’t matter because, as this experience has shown, I won’t remember anyway.
Catholic Schools Week: This week, we celebrate Catholic Schools Week throughout the United States. This weeklong celebration is an opportunity for us to highlight the great work and ministry being accomplished in our Catholic Schools.
Catholic Schools integrate faith and values into every part of the educational experience. Whether in the classroom, on the athletic field, or in Church, Catholic School students learn to think and act according to the mind and heart of Christ. Giving students the resources they need to accomplish the task of thinking and acting according to the mind and heart of Christ is so vital in our complex world.
SJA’s celebration of Catholic Schools Week begins bright and early on Monday morning, January 31st, with the celebration of mass at 8:30 a.m. I encourage you to watch the liturgy online as we thank God for the many wonderful ways St. Joan of Arc School prepares students for the task of thinking and acting according to the mind and heart of Christ. The Catholic Schools Week celebration is also an opportunity for us to thank God for all the wonderful teachers, staff, volunteers, and parents that help make SJA School a place of excellence.
I’d also like to call your attention to the fact that we’ve scheduled an Open House / WinterFest on Thursday, February 3rd, from 6 – 8 p.m. The event will take place in the parking lot between the Church and school. The gathering will be an opportunity for attendees to meet our school teachers and administrators, enjoy some light refreshments, roast some marshmallows, make s’mores and even light a candle in Church as our regular Holy Hour goes on at the same time. The Open House is a great opportunity for you to see firsthand the great things taking place at our school. The event is also a wonderful opportunity for you to invite a prospective SJA School family to visit the school and see the great family atmosphere in our school community. So, please mark your calendars and consider joining us on Thursday, February 3rd. Please see the flyer elsewhere in the bulletin for more details.
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Enjoy the week.
Know of my prayers.
In Christ,
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11) Tire Tracks in the d’Arc |
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Think Spring? No, Make It Happen!: I feel divided when it comes to January as a month. In some ways it’s never been a favorite. It’s cold and, well…. cold! There’s just no other word that comes to mind. We have a constant battle in the parish center over the temperature. Msgr and I are always freezing and everyone in the back offices is always cold. Those in the front offices by the entrance are always too warm. And in summer, we'll be fine in the back and the front offices will still be too hot.
As I sit here in my office, with a heater under the desk and the snow falling outside, however, I’m grateful that it is now the end of January. Ever since moving to Michigan and learning what winter really felt like, I have embarked annually on a voyage of delusion at this time of year. Yes, it may be still January, but in my mind, y’ know what that means?.... Spring!!!
That’s right, as the snow falls, I engage in an Olympic-level battle of mental gymnastics, pushing aside all reasoned arguments to the contrary and convince myself that all bar the shouting, Spring is here! The logic goes something like this: It’s January. We’ve already chanced the snow-roulette with November and December (yes, remember we had snow November 1st last year and that was a long time ago now, so this winter is already old in the tooth). And now Christmas is over and it’s almost February. And if it’s almost February, that means it may as well be March because February is just a flash in the pan, really. Now since I grew-up in England, March was totally Spring there—March means daffodils and Easter bunnies. And okay, we’re in Michigan and it often snows in March, but if it’s March, well, April is next and that's definitely Spring, without a doubt (…. don’t raise a doubt...I don’t, won’t hear it)!!
So, yes, with the snow falling and temperatures in the teens, welcome to my delusional Spring everyone! Don’t you feel better already? I do!
This morning as the students were coming into school and I was thanking them for spending their much-hoped-for-but-was-never-going-to-happen snow-day with us at school. I made sure one or two of them knew how unsympathetic I was since I only had one snow-day in my entire school career. One day! One lousy snow-day and it wasn't called until 11am that day, after we had already been at school for a couple of hours. And really, it was an “unreliable-boiler-day” since it didn’t even snow that day. Judging from their expressions, I don’t think I garnered any more sympathy than I offered in recounting this tale of woe.
This year, as Christmas receded into the shadows, I was determined to get on with my Spring. Usually my tree will stay up a while, not because I’m doing the “wait until the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord” thing, but because I just didn’t get around to taking it down yet. But this time around, Epiphany came and went and so did the tree. But that left a dilemma…. What to do about the empty corner of my living room where my tree and all its 12 (yes, twelve) ornaments had shone in all its glory? Yes, I could put back the table I had moved out to make way for the Christmas tree, but it doesn't really need to be there. So I thought maybe I’d experiment. I took a photo of the empty corner and started digital doodling in my best Bob-Ross-all-up-to-date-iPhone style.
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A mention of this on social media raised the question “Who is Bob Ross?” Bob Ross, you may recall, was the man with the big hair behind the “Happy Little Trees” in the PBS series, “Joy of Painting” in the 80s and 90s. I also had a seminary professor who was obsessed with drawing on the white-board and using Bob Ross as an analogy.
I’ve never painted, other than walls and fences, but I think I’d enjoy it. But painting is a lot of mess and you need to have somewhere to paint or not mind inadvertently re-decorating your dining room every other week (and I’d rather not do that). But digitally, I thought this was a good idea. How would a tree look in the corner of my room, in the absence of a Christmas tree? Would this help to reinforce my conviction that it’s actually Spring now? So I drew my own happy little tree into the photo on my phone.
I was pretty happy with the result, so much so that I didn’t get a tree for the corner. Huh?! How does that make sense? Well, I’m considering just framing the photo and hanging it on the wall in the corner. It’ll be kind of ironic, I think! Next, I think I’ll add some Astro-turf and maybe a lawn chair from which to enjoy my delusional Spring.
Additional Digital Delusions: Speaking of delusional, my sister told me this week that my mom and dad now both own cell phones and that they text. :o Technology is not “their thing,” so I was more than a little surprised and slightly skeptical to hear this news. So I put it to the test. Keep in mind that just about 4 months ago, I received an email from my mom responding to an email I sent to her my first night in Israel… in 2014. So I texted my parents to test this new development… and I set a stopwatch. Mom? 25 minutes. I was impressed. Dad? That digital tree will have taken root in my living room by the time my dad stops that stopwatch with a text.
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You are in my prayers this Spring!
Fr. Andrew
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12) Ascension Presents: Father Mike Schmitz |
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What Makes Mary and Joseph's Marriage Different?
As we know, an essential part of the Sacrament of Marriage is entering into the sexual embrace. And yet, our Catholic faith teaches that Mary and Joseph remained lifelong virgins even after they were married. So, how does this make their marriage different?
Today, Fr. Mike unpacks this common question and helps us further understand the beauty and grace of the Sacrament of Marriage.
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13) Words on the Word: January 30, 2022 - Shelter of Love
A quick grab for publicity, or an act of love?
The Detroit Free Press reported a few weeks ago on a generous donation made by one of the automakers to assist a day shelter downtown. Known as the Pope Francis Center, the shelter is run by a local priest, currently out of the TCF Center, formerly known as Cobo Hall.
The story noted that the priest observed a troubling problem; temperatures had gotten bitterly cold, and people were standing outside shivering as they waited to be tested for Covid 19 before being admitted in for service.
The priest, who has an office at another downtown location, had previously noted kiosks in the hallways that enable quick Covid screening, keeping waiting at a minimum.
He reached out to the automaker, which owns the kiosks, to see if they might have additional quantities anywhere that could be used.
With an expediency almost unheard of anymore, the automaker quickly agreed to help.
Some may say that was simply a no-brainer public relations move by the company, and, to an extent it may be. But it also had to be motivated at some level by love.
“Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous, it is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude,” we hear in today’s second reading to the Corinthians. “It does not seek its own interests.”
As for the enterprising priest, he truly approached the automaker with faith that God would help him meet the immediate need, hope that the company would act in the best interests of its civic brothers and sisters, and love for the people being served by the shelter.
“So faith, hope, love remain, these three,” the reading concludes, “but the greatest of these is love.”
© 2022, Words on the Word
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14) The Bible in a Year Podcast by Father Mike Schmitz |
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If you’ve struggled to read the Bible, this podcast is for you.
Ascension’s Bible in a Year Podcast, hosted by Fr. Mike Schmitz and featuring Jeff Cavins, guides Catholics through the Bible in 365 daily episodes.
Each 20-25 minute episode includes:
- two to three scripture readings
- a reflection from Fr. Mike Schmitz
- and guided prayer to help you hear God’s voice in his Word.
Unlike any other Bible podcast, Ascension’s Bible in a Year Podcast for Catholics follows a reading plan inspired by the Great Adventure Bible Timeline® learning system, a groundbreaking approach to understanding Salvation History developed by renowned Catholic Bible teacher Jeff Cavins.
Tune in and live your daily life through the lens of God’s word!
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15) FORMED Pick of the Week: |
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Our parish has a subscription to FORMED, a premier online platform filled with over 4,000 Catholic studies, movies, audio dramas, talks, e-books, and even cartoons for our children. FORMED has content from over 60 apostolates, including Augustine Institute, Ignatius Press, and the Knights of Columbus, with material that is professionally produced, engaging, and solid in its catechism. Best of all, this material is free to you because of our parish subscription.
You have easy access to all of the material on FORMED to support your own faith journey and that of your family members.
You can enjoy FORMED on your computer or on your television with an inexpensive Roku device or Apple TV. You can even listen on your phone as you commute to work or do chores.
To gain access to all of FORMED’s content, follow these simple steps:
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Go to https://signup.formed.org/
- Enter our parish’s zip code 48080 or enter St. Joan of Arc
- Enter your name and your email address
That’s it! You’re in. Now you can get the free FORMED app for your phone by searching FORMED Catholic in your app store.
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Are you looking for a one-stop app for prayer and meditation? Look no further than Hallow. Hallow is an awesome prayer app. Hallow is a Catholic prayer and meditation app that helps users deepen their relationship with God through audio-guided contemplative prayer sessions. The app launched 2 years ago and is already the #1 Catholic app in the world.
We have a number of parishioners who are already using the app and loving it (my mom being one of them and she is on the app most of the day). Great for praying alone or together with your spouse/family, Hallow truly has something for everyone, no matter what you are going through (see below for their different content categories).
Hallow is free to download and has tons of permanently free content, as well as a premium subscription, Hallow Plus.
To get started, simply click the button above/below to activate your free account on the Hallow website. Make sure to select “Sign Up with Email” when registering. For step-by-step instructions, you can visit this process guide. Enter the code stjoanofarcmi to obtain a discount on individual pro plans.
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17) Mass Intentions for the Week: |
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Monday, January 31, 2022 Saint John Bosco, Priest and Religious Founder
7:00 a.m.: Special Intention for John Campion and Marissa Manteg on their upcoming wedding and for all Teachers as we start Catholic Schools’ Week.
Tuesday, February 1, 2022 Weekday
7:00 a.m.: Daniel Voss and Elmer Gorde
Wednesday, February 2, 2022 The Presentation of the Lord
7:00 a.m.: Michael Ciaramitaro and Brandon Hacias
Thursday, February 3, 2022 Weekday Saint Blaise, Bishop and Martyr; Saint Ansgar, Bishop
7:00 a.m.: Theresa Brazier
Friday, February 4, 2022 Weekday
7:00 a.m.: Marie Terese Tobin and Mildred LeFevre
Saturday, February 5, 2022 Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
4:00 p.m.: Sam & Grace Valenti, the deceased members of Walsh Family, Mark Brys, Bonnie Batche, Charles Woods, Dr. Donald Carom, and Special Intentions for the Thomas Family, the J. Champine Family, the Cottone Family, the Mordovanakis Family, Peg Shaughnessy and Prayerful appreciation for the work of the Priests and Staff of SJA.
6:00 p.m.: John Spath
Sunday, February 6, 2022 Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
8:00 a.m.: For the Intentions of Saint Joan of Arc Parishioners
10:00 a.m.: George Petroff
12:00 p.m.: Salvatore Ciaravino, Virginia Murphy, John G. Champine and Virginia Murphy
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18) This Week on St. Joan of Arc LIVE: |
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This week's LIVE Stream
Schedule at St. Joan of Arc:
Monday (January 31):
7:00 AM - Mass
8:30 AM - All School Mass
Tuesday (February 1):
7:00 AM - Mass
Wednesday (February 2):
7:00 AM - Mass
Thursday (February 3):
7:00 AM - Mass
7:00 PM - Holy Hour (Praise and Worship Music)
Friday (February 4):
7:00 AM - Mass
Saturday (February 5):
1:30 PM - Baptism of Lucas Palermo
2:30 PM - Baptism of Kennedy Jane Hintzsche
4:00 PM - Mass
6:00 PM - Mass
Sunday (February 6):
8:00 AM - Mass
10:00 AM - Mass
12:00 PM - Mass
Please note that all of our masses and events can be accessed through the ARCHIVE section of our Live stream page if you are not able to watch it live!
We also have our own ROKU Channel. Search for "CATHOLIC" in the ROKU channel store, and you will find SJA's channel. A Fire TV Channel is also available.
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19) SJA's Bulletin for Sunday, January 30, 2022 |
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Click on the image below
to download a copy of the bulletin
for January 30, 2022
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20) Weekly Bulletin Mailing List |
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Sending the bulletin has been greatly received by so many people. If you are getting the bulletin online and would prefer that it not be mailed to your home, please click on the button below to be removed from the mailing list.
At the same time, if you are NOT getting the bulletin and would prefer to get it, click on the same button and ask to be ADDED to the list.
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Read the latest from the DETROIT CATHOLIC
Click on the image below.
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