Dear Friends in Christ,
Here are a few updates from the parish for the week of July 18, 2021.
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1) Catholic Services Appeal 2021 |
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Dear Friends in Christ,
In St. Paul's Letter to the Colossians, he urges them, "Whatever you do, do from the heart (Col. 3:23)." These words are particularly meaningful since he wrote them from prison, facing persecution and hardship. The faith community at Colossae was facing its own hardships as they strove to live the life Christ called them to whatever the circumstances. Being rooted in the Lord would serve them well as they continued to grow as a faith community, and as the Church continued to grow throughout the world.
The theme of the 2021 CSA is FUEL THE MISSION. The mission is simple, to make Christ's kingdom present in our day to the many people of Southeast Michigan. That mission cannot be fully accomplished unless it is fueled with human and materially resources.
Our CSA goal this year is just slightly more than $217,000. Anything raised above the goal will return to the parish, while any shortfalls must be covered by the parish. Thus, your support is greatly needed and appreciated.
Your gift helps support men who are discerning a vocation to the priesthood. It impacts youth, family, and young adult ministries to help people at all stages of life grow in faith. It helps Catholic schools continue to form the next generation of leaders and disciples. It helps our food pantries and soup kitchens feed and clothe the poor. Your gift brings Jesus to Southeast Michigan in a very real and tangible way.
You may have already received a mailing from the Archdiocese of Detroit. If you did so, please make a contribution to the CSA as indicated in that mailing. You can also easily give by visiting: csa.stjoan.church or by clicking on the button below.
Also available at the Church exists, in the bins outside the Sr. Carol Center, and at the Parish Center are general CSA brochures and envelopes that can be used to make a contribution to the CSA.
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2) SJA's CSA Update as of July 18, 2021 |
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I am grateful to those who have already contributed to CSA 2021. As of today, we have $118,136 in pledges and gifts toward our $217,002 goal. This amount represents gifts from 369 families (we have 3,236 families registered). We have thus achieved 54% of our goal!
Here is a breakdown by gift range:
$2,500+ (3)
$1,000+ (25)
$500+ (37)
$250+ (68)
$100+ (137)
$75+ (12)
$50+ (52)
$25+ (21)
$0+ (14)
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.
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3) The Danger of Complaining ... by Father Mike Schmitz |
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St. Paul tells us, “Do everything without grumbling,” but even the best-intentioned Christians can fall into a toxic habit of constant complaining. It’s true that sometimes, sharing a complaint can help rectify an unjust situation or call attention to something that needs to change. But when you start fixating on the negative things around you and voicing your critiques or grievances about everything in your life, you imprison yourself in your own personal hell.
Today, Fr. Mike encourages us to ask for God’s grace to break free from the habit of complaining.
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St. Joan of Arc Catholic School is looking for a full-time Middle School Teacher. This position involves teaching Mathematics for the 6th, 7th, and 8th Grades. The candidate would also be required to teach Religion to their homeroom.
The teacher candidate should be able to:
- Promote the mission and vision of St. Joan of Arc School.
- Be committed and passionate about Catholic education.
- Create a consistently high level of student engagement and learning.
- Be capable of teaching a range of mathematics, from 6thGrade through Algebra 1, inability-grouped classes.
- Be able to share their faith with their students.
- Differentiate instruction within the classroom to meet the needs of all students.
- Establish positive relationships with students.
- Maintain a consistent disciplinary approach that promotes self-direction and confidence by setting high standards for student behavior and manages inappropriate behavior effectively.
- Communicate regularly with students, families, and colleagues.
- Cooperate with school administration to complete additional operational, and professional responsibilities and duties, as needed.
All teachers in the Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of Detroit shall be certified and/or approved for teaching by the Department of Education for the State of Michigan.
This candidate is required to have a valid Michigan teaching certificate (Elementary or Secondary Education) with a Math Endorsement (EX).
The candidate must complete fingerprinting, background check, and the Protecting God’s Children virtual workshop prior to working with students.
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5) This Sunday's Readings - July 18, 2021 |
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6) Prayer Vigil for LIFE - July 31, 2021 with Archbishop Vigneron |
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7) Grow+Go for the 16th 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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8) Sunday Reflection by Jeff Cavins |
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In this week’s Encountering the Word video for the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jeff Cavins shares how Jesus desires to be our shepherd and lead us. |
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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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Risky Business: This one will get me in trouble. Oh well. My mom and sisters will be happy I’m not writing about them for a change.
I wrote last week about my mom being rushed by ambulance to Troy Beaumont when she slipped and fell on the floor after spraying the whole kitchen with Raid; she was dealing with an army of ants that invaded the condo. For those who may not have read last week’s article, I’m happy to report that she’s fine and didn’t break anything, praise God. The night before all of this happened, I received an email from OnStar that my car detected high resistance on my battery, and it needed attention. The alert warned me there was the possibility the car wouldn’t start the next time I went to use it. While the email caught my attention, I decided I would deal with it later! The next day, when I needed the car to rush out to the hospital, I went to start it, and it was deader than dead. My sister had just pulled out of the Parish Center parking lot, so I had to flag her down to get me so we both could run out to the hospital. As we were going down Overlake, I flagged Vern, told him what happened, and he and Greg decided they would work on my car while I was gone. They got the car going after charging the battery. Working on my car proved to be somewhat challenging because my car was parked in the garage, and the hood of my car is directly under a shelf where all of my Christmas inflatables are stored. Maneuvering around that little space is awkward; even worse, trying to jump-start the car because you can only open the hood maybe 10 inches or so because of the shelf. Once they got the car started, they moved it out onto my driveway. I used the car for a day without any issues, so I thought my problems were over and I decided to park my car back in the garage.
On Thursday night of that week, I received another alert from OnStar. This time the alert indicated a problem with my battery charging system. Once again, I figured I would deal with it later. The following day, Friday, I concelebrated Mass and went about my usual Friday stuff before my planned 11 AM departure to be with my mom for the rest of the day. I knew I had to leave by 11 AM, so I set 10:45 as my “last chance” time to head home to chane, pack my car, and drive off to Shelby Township. Once I got everything packed, I hopped in the car, pushed the brake, and hit the ignition switch. My windshield wipers crawled across my windshield slower than a turtle would cross a road. UGH. Rather than call Vern and Greg for help, I figured I could push the car a foot or two out of the garage, and then I could jump-start it and get on my way. So I put my car in neutral, maneuvered my 6 foot 7-inch body under the shelf, and got myself positioned in front of the car to push it out of the garage. All I needed to do was push the car past the shelf so I could open the hood and jump-start the thing. I figured this would be easy! What I didn’t consider was that my garage is somewhat on an incline, so I would be pushing the car up “uphill.” Using the garage wall to prop my foot, I gave the car a mighty push. I got the car to move an inch or two, but then it started to move back toward me. This wasn’t good. So, I decided to look around the garage for a brick or something to prop against the wheels to prevent the car from moving back toward me (okay, from trapping me under the shelf or sending me through the garage wall). I tried one more time, but I wasn’t getting anywhere. And, since I didn’t want to be found pinned in my garage covered with Christmas inflatables, I decided it was time to grab the keys to the Parish truck and call it a day. It was now 11:30, and I was going to be late.
As I was retelling the story to Patty in the office the following Monday, she listened intently, and after laughing for quite some time, added, “And you complain about your mother taking risks! Now we know where she gets it from. ARE. YOU. CRAZY?” Come on; I thought I could push a 2-ton vehicle out of my garage up a slight incline. At least I remembered to put the thing in neutral! In the end, a new battery solved all of my car problems. Maybe this was a sign I needed to start working out or hop on the CrossFit bandwagon. NOT! I’ll stick to my day job. After all, it’s not often I have to push a two-ton vehicle “uphill.”
The Sacrament of the Sick (Part Four): I’ve been writing about the Sacrament of the Sick over the last few weeks, in part because many people have misinformed opinions or improper information about the sacrament. This week, I want to continue reflecting on the redemptive value of our sufferings.
Last week, I shared a quote from Mother Teresa that’s worth repeating: “Suffering will never be completely absent from our lives. If we accept it with faith, we are given the opportunity to share the passion of Jesus and show him our love.” To accept suffering WITH FAITH becomes a critical point to remember. Life changes when we start to view things through the lens of faith.
This reminds me of a lady I once visited in a nursing home. After I anointed her, we had a rather spirited conversation about her illness and her anger with God. “Why would God do this to me? I’m good and have been good all my life. Why couldn’t he choose to give my illness to some bad people? There are plenty of them who deserve it; I don’t deserve this at all,” she said. I told her that she was flat-out wrong! I wanted to encourage her to see the redemptive value of her suffering and that she needed a change of attitude about the whole situation. Once we accept that sometimes God loves us so much that he gives us incredible crosses to carry in life, it’s up to us to turn that cross into something redemptive for ourselves and those around us. It isn’t always easy to swallow, but the more faith you have and the more you accept the reality of God’s will in your life, the more you will come to a better understanding of the crosses we are called to embrace. God never intends to leave us hanging in a perpetual Good Friday experience; WE keep ourselves there. Every cross we embrace is a sharing in the passion of Christ. And just as Christ journeyed from Good Friday to Easter Sunday, so too can we, with our own crosses, move from the pain of our own Good Friday to the emptiness of our own Holy Saturday to the joy of our own Easter Sunday. It is about our faith. It is about our relationship with God. It is about our attitude and whether we acknowledge that God may just be using us for some purpose in accomplishing his divine plan.
I still often quote and ask people to reflect upon the prior English translation of the opening prayer for Masses for the Sick. “Hear the prayers we offer for our sick brothers and sisters. May all who suffer pain, illness, or disease realize that they are chosen to be saints, and know that they are joined to Christ in his suffering for the salvation of the world ….” CHOSEN to be saints … JOINED to Christ in his suffering for the salvation of the world. Those are some powerful words that deserve our attention and reflection!
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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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“What About Jesus?” - In the movie, “What About Bob?” Bill Murray plays a needy psychiatric patient, who, crippled by his own neuroses, tracks down his doctor on vacation. Not wanting to deal with Bob at that moment, and trying to convey the inappropriateness of Bob seeking him out in this way, Dr. Marvin tells Bob, “Take a vacation from your problems!” It’s a brush-off from the doctor, but it turns out to be exactly the therapy Bob needs. Bob takes the doctor at his word and invites himself to join Dr. Marvin and his family on their vacation. The family welcomes this quirky guest, but the furious Dr. Marvin ends-up revealing himself to be the paranoid one, convinced that he will never be rid of Bob.
While he’s not the most well-adjusted of characters, Dr. Marvin’s advice, “Take a vacation from your problems” rings with a degree of truth in light of the Gospel today. We are all in need of refreshment and rejuvenation periodically, in order to re-engage our roles in the world more effectively — a time for reflection and perspective.
Jesus’ apostles are reporting back to Him, all that they have been doing and teaching. People are continuing to come to them “in great numbers.” Jesus tells them it’s time to retreat and re-charge. “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while,” He says. When the pressure of responsibilities is upon you, we must attend to our duties, but never forget to retreat to a quiet place with the Lord too. It doesn’t have to be a physical location; just find a few minutes in your day to look for the Lord dwelling in your heart and share your troubles, your pains and your joys with him. Look deep inside and you’ll find Jesus’ heart there, burning with compassion, reaching-out to the lost, the broken, the weary and the suffering. Such is His compassion that the literal translation of Mark’s words, “his heart was moved with pity for them” refers more to compassion felt deep in His stomach and bodily organs than it does to simple “pity.”
It’s partly lost in the English translation, but such is Jesus’ love and concern for us. His heart longs for those in need of a shepherd, those needing a protector, a guide (something all of us need). Why would we not want to pull-away from the pressures of life for a time, and simply be with him when we can? Take a moment daily to catch your breath and be renewed by the Lord before going on to where He’s calling you next. Take a daily summer vacation from your problems.
For Whom the Bell Tolls: Camping up-north a couple of weeks ago turned out to be somewhat of a Bucket-List item. Yes, I’ve often been up north, although never to Tahquamenon Falls before. On the itinerary, however, was also Whitefish Point on Lake Superior. This is the home of the Shipwreck Museum. Sometime last century, when I was 11 years old, there was a book in my classroom at grade school on the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald. I remember reading that book several times. It captured my imagination and I was fascinated that something so large could be lost in such mysterious circumstances, that are still unproven. I obviously at 11 years old had no idea that one day I would live in Michigan and visit “the lake that they call Gitche Gumee."
I stood on that Lake Superior beach a couple of times during the week—once in the evening around 9pm, when the lake was flat and calm, but the fog was thicker than molasses. The next time, it was a beautiful sunny day and we could see for miles, but the winds were up and the waves were crashing onto the beach. I can only imagine the power of a November storm, miles out from shore. But in the museum, there was the bell of the Edmund Fitzgerald. That felt like a completion of the circle, a fascination I’d had since I first heard of that freighter as a kid in England.
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I do like a nice ship bell. My grandfather was in the British Merchant Navy in England. He was captain of his ship, travelling back and forth from Liverpool to North Africa, when it was part of the British Commonwealth. My grandparents lived in Ghana and Nigeria for a number of years and my mom was born and lived there. In the early 1960s, they were planning to return to England and they purchased a house in Manchester. Around that time, my grandfather’s ship encountered another ship on route that had run into some difficulty. His ship was able to come alongside and rescue the crew of the stricken vessel and bring them to safety.
Somehow, the captain of the rescued ship found out where my grandparents were moving to. He managed to locate the agent of the sale and get access to the house before my grandparents moved in. He took the bell from his ship and hid it in a closet as a gift, for my grandfather to find.
Every year from that day onwards, until my grandfather died in 1991, he would take that bell at midnight on New Year’s Eve, and walk down to the end of his driveway at the house in Manchester, and ring the bell at midnight. This is a maritime tradition.
In order to tell the time from the bell, every day, noon, 4pm, 8pm, midnight, etc. were marked by the ringing of eight bells. It was also custom that on the change of watch, when eight bells were sounded, and of course provided everything was in order, to shout, "Eight bells and all is well!"
Once a year, sixteen bells were rung to mark the end of an old year and the beginning of a new. Usually the oldest person on board was given the task of ringing out the old while the youngest person on board was allowed to ring in the new. So my grandfather would ring the bell at the end of the driveway, probably annoying and confusing a lot of neighbors.
My grandmother was not able to stay in their home after he died, so when the house was cleared out to be sold, the bell came over to my parents’ garage. My grandfather died in September, and that first New Year’s Eve, my dad took the bell, walked down to the end of the driveway and rang the bell at midnight in his memory. I can still remember hearing the bell toll.
Sadly, I’m not sure anyone knows the whereabouts of the bell now. My parents have moved twice since then and I have a feeling the bell failed to make one of the moves. In such a fast-paced world, these memories and traditions connect us to the history that formed us today.
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You are in my prayers this week.
Fr. Andrew
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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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13) Words on the Word: July 18, 2021 - State of Relaxation
As the weather improves and we finally – finally – start to get into the best part of our always-so-short summer, one’s thoughts start to turn to the beach.
How timely, then, that a travel website recently published a story claiming that Michigan, of all places, has the best coastal beach towns in America. Now, it’s slightly unclear if this particular website is an unbiased arbiter of such things, or if perhaps it is simply a portal for a story bought and paid for by the Michigan tourism folks. It’s also likely that people in, say, the Outer Banks, or on the Florida or California coasts, or even our neighbors in picturesque Wisconsin, would disagree.
But that’s really not the point.
The story provides detail on the charms, amenities, food, fun and relaxation opportunities in places such as Grand Haven, Glen Arbor, Copper Harbor, Mackinac Island and Mackinaw City, Cheboygan, Ludington, Charlevoix, Traverse City, Petoskey, Suttons Bay, Manistee, Saugatuck, Holland, Muskegon and East Tawas.
All of them, to be sure, are delightful, and, in their own way, offer a glimpse of God’s bounty to help tourists find enjoyment.
“(Jesus) said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while,’” we hear in today’s gospel passage from St. Mark. “People were coming and going in great numbers and they had no opportunity even to eat. So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place.”
None of these Michigan destinations are deserted, to be sure. But they do offer two important lessons: First, that, after last summer’s Covid shutdowns, it’s a blessing to be able to travel and enjoy getaways again.
And second, that such beauty and fun can be found so close to home.
In both senses, we find ourselves in an awesome state!
© 2021, Words on the Word
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14) Teresa and Deacon Dom's Roman Holiday Marriage Retreat
Click on the image below to learn more about this Roman Holiday Marriage Retreat.
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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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16) This Week on St. Joan of Arc LIVE: |
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This week's LIVE Stream
Schedule at St. Joan of Arc:
Monday (July 19):
7:00 AM - Mass
5:00 PM - Baptism of Theodora Fresard
Tuesday (July 20):
7:00 AM - Mass
10:00 AM - Memorial Mass for John Beato
Wednesday (July 21):
7:00 AM - Mass
Thursday (July 22):
7:00 AM - Mass
7:00 PM - Holy Hour (Praise and Worship Music)
Friday (July 23):
7:00 AM - Mass
Saturday (July 24):
12:00 Noon - Baptism of Leo Fazi
4:00 PM - Mass
6:00 PM - Mass
Sunday (July 25):
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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17) SJA's Bulletin for July 18, 2021 |
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Click on the image below
to download a copy of our
Bulletin for July 18, 2021
The 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time
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Weekly bulletin: 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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