Our CSA goal this year is $208,946. Anything raised above the goal will return to the parish, while the parish must cover any shortfalls. Thus, your support is greatly needed and appreciated.

You can also easily give by visiting: sja.aodcsa.org or by clicking on the button below.

I am grateful to those who have already contributed to CSA 2023. As of today, we have $92,940 in pledges and gifts toward our $208,946 goal ($71,768 has been paid thus far toward our total pledged amount). This amount represents gifts from 299 families (we have 3,330 families registered). We have thus achieved 44% of our goal! 

 

$2,500+ (5)

$1,000+ (11)

$500+ (15)

$250+ (41)

$100+ (139)

$75+ (5)

$50+ (41)

$25+ (29)

$10+ (11)

$1+ (2)

 

 

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. Generic pledge cards can also be found on the bookcase of the Gathering Space.

Please remember that we will continue our Wednesday evening confessions and Mass.

Confessions will be heard from 5:00 until 5:45 PM in the Sr. Carol Center, and then Mass will be celebrated at 6:00 PM. For those who may be interested in knowing, the Wednesday evening Mass is in the daily mass format, that is, with no music. So, it is usually only about 30 minutes in length.

The word of God and the complete teachings of the Catholic Church. Answers and commentary by Fr. Mike Schmitz, Jeff Cavins, and other experts. Video, audio, and textual commentary. Right on your phone.

The Ascension App Includes:

The full text of the Great Adventure Catholic Bible with color coding interwoven throughout so you can immediately recognize where you are in the story of salvation history.

The full text of the Catechism of the Catholic Church with The Foundations of Faith color-coding built in.

Every episode of Bible in a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz for easy access and cross-referencing with your reading plan and Scripture.

Every released episode of the Catechism in a Year podcast with Fr. Mike Schmitz so you can easily stay on top of your daily readings.

Summaries, the exact wording of Fr. Mike’s daily prayers, and extra content for every single episode of Bible in a Year.

Over 1,000 commonly asked questions about the Bible with answers right in the text from experts like Fr. Mike Schmitz, Jeff Cavins, and others.

An interactive reading plan for both podcasts that tracks your progress.

Notes and bookmarks so you can quickly pick up where you left off and write down your reflections and prayers along the way.

…And we're just getting started. More to be announced soon!

SJA is moderating a Facebook group for our parishioners and friends embarking on the Catechism in a Year podcast with Fr. Mike Schmitz and Ascension Press.

You can find the link to join on the SJA Facebook page or click the button below. We already have 90+ participants!

Jeff reflects on what happened to Jesus will happen to his followers. Christ had to carry his cross and so we too, are called to pick up our cross and follow him. It means we will have die to ourselves. “He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.”

First Reading: 2 KGS 4:8-11, 14-16A

Psalm: PS 89:2-3, 16-17, 18-19

Second Reading: ROM 6:3-4, 8-11

Gospel: MT 10:37-42

Friends, there is no religious figure anywhere in the religions or philosophies of the world who is stranger, more demanding, more relentless, and more unnerving than Jesus. And therefore the religion attached to Jesus is the strangest of them all. Exhibit A is our Gospel from Matthew 10. What Jesus says to his Apostles about himself, no other spiritual teacher would say. And you can’t be neutral about it: you have make a decision about Jesus.

The Preamble Joke: As I was googling for the words of a joke I wanted to use as the opener for TALLer Tales this week because the joke fit with the topic I wanted to write about, I came across the following one that made me laugh. So, I thought you could use a laugh too.

The joke is entitled: “The Preacher and the Peanuts.” The joke goes like this: A preacher visits an elderly woman from his congregation. As he sits on the couch, he notices a large bowl of peanuts on the coffee table. “Mind if I have a few?” he asks. “No, not at all!” the woman replied. They chat for an hour, and as the preacher stands to leave, he realizes that instead of eating just a few peanuts, he emptied most of the bowl. “I’m terribly sorry for eating all your peanuts. I really just meant to eat a few.” “Oh, that’s all right,” the woman says. “Ever since I lost my teeth, all I can do is suck the chocolate off them.”

Lovin’ the Retiree Life: As I was thinking about what I would write about today, I landed on the topic that I was starting to love the “retiree life.”

As I was thinking about the “retiree life,” I couldn’t help but recall a joke I wanted to share. This joke is entitled “Waking Up for Church.” The joke goes like this: One Sunday morning, a mother went in to wake her son and tell him it was time to get ready for Church, to which he replied, “I’m not going.” “Why not?” she asked. “I’ll give you two good reasons,” he said. “One, they don’t like me, and two, I don’t like them.” His mother replied, “I’ll give YOU two good reasons why you SHOULD go to Church. One, you’re 54 years old, and two, you’re the pastor!”

Since May 1, when I had my knee surgery, I’ve been somewhat living the “retiree life.” At first, the slower pace was a bit annoying, but I was able to focus on doing my physical therapy and controlling my knee pain. With my Mom staying with me and my family and staff taking care of me, I started to enjoy all the benefits rather quickly!

I never knew until early May what it was like to get up just in time for Mass and then watch it on TV. I heard about all the experiences during COVID, but I was the one on the camera; this time, I was the one watching it on TV. And I will admit that my Mom would bring up our coffee, and I would sit on my comfy recliner, often curled up with my favorite blanket. I would make sure to start the TV about 10 minutes before Mass so I could watch everyone walking into Church, and then I would stay on for a few minutes after Mass to watch people clean up the sanctuary or gather in groups to yap with one another. I got used to the patterns of people’s arrival times, and then my Mom and I often wondered why someone wasn’t in Church on a given day if we didn’t see them.

We would also study and discuss some of the “things” that needed to be corrected for a perfect video-streaming image. One item was the carpet seams. I was amazed at how much the carpet seams show online; even the white threads could be seen. I would also catch an out-of-place plant or flower or a camera that would go out of focus. I would notice when the Paschal candle would be tilted or when the flowers needed to be ditched. I would even “binge-watch” all the masses on the weekend.

But getting up just before Mass and then only taking a shower and getting ready for the day after Mass became the norm for a few weeks! That was nice. Then my sister Jackie was taking care of the laundry (until recently, I couldn’t handle stairs without difficulty). My Mom was taking care of the dishes and emptying the dishwasher. And then food, normal meals, were the norm … you wouldn’t want to know my “normal” meal habits, although I’m sure you can guess.

Then, the best part was the occasional afternoon snoozes! I remember taking siestas when I lived overseas, but you never felt guilty doing so because everyone would nap in the afternoon after the big meal of the day at 1 p.m. (pranzo time).

And then there was the “wind down” time in the evening when my Mom and I would watch the news, and then we would watch Family Feud. I would never have guessed I would be watching Family Feud several times during the week. Then there were the DIY shows or stuff on HGTV that we would watch (Windy City Rehab or Log Cabin Living became favorites). But my favorite was watching The Incredible Dr. Pol. It became entertaining.

THEN, if all that wasn’t enough of “Living the Retiree Life,” it was the early bedtimes. My Mom would often go to her room around 9:00 p.m. so she could start saying her rosary and all of her prayers. I would then use the time to say my prayers and get ready for bed. But one night, I got to bed while it was still light outside. I laughed as I crawled into bed and still saw light outside. WHAT. WAS. HAPPENING. TO. ME? I could see how one could easily get used to this pace of life!

Well, retiree life came to a close the other day. Father Rich went to visit his Mom in Manistee, so it was only me. Since I’m the “pastor,” I had to get out of bed! I did a practice round to ensure my morning routine times hadn’t changed too much! Vern texted me about whether I would assist Father Rich at the masses before he left, and my response was, “Retiree life is over. I’ll be there.” He responded, “You’re NOT READY for it YET!!”

Yes, I got a taste of livin’ the retiree life. So, let’s do the math. It will probably be 16 years until I can retire. That’s only 5,840 days to go. Not bad. But I may find some time for a few episodes of Dr. Pol, Windy City Rehab, and Log Cabin Living in the meantime! As for those afternoon siestas, I’ve got to figure out how to book those in my calendar! Livin’ the retiree life isn’t so bad!

Parish Center Summer Hours during July: Beginning next week, the Parish Center will switch to its “July Schedule.” The Parish Center will only be open from 8:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday. We will not be open on Fridays.

The Parish Center will also be closed on Monday, July 3, and Tuesday, July 4, for the Fourth of July holiday.

Fourth of July Mass Schedule: With the Fourth of July, we will have our regular 7:00 a.m. Mass, as well as a 9:00 a.m. Mass as we usually do with the parishioners of Our Lady Star of the Sea, St. Veronica, St. Lucy, and St. Basil Parishes. Consider joining us for one of these masses to start your Fourth of July celebrations.

Thank you and Farewell: Yes, I know it’s July 2 and I was supposed to be gone now! And I am. But I wanted to have the opportunity to say goodbye and thank you for my time here at St. Joan.

I took the opportunity for a little rest after my final weekend and get out of town, and in the process forgot the deadline for last week’s bulletin article. Thank you, Fr. Adam for allowing me to steal this space for his first weekend (not that I gave him a choice!)

The readings for this Sunday are perhaps most appropriate for a weekend where parishes across the Archdiocese are transitioning from one priest to another, letting go of one and welcoming another.

In this very simple first reading today from the Second Book of Kings is a beautiful image of the relationship between the priest and God’s people, and the community the priest is to serve.

Welcoming the prophet Elisha into their home was no doubt a great comfort to the Shunemite woman and her husband. In the midst of a culture led by the weak King Ahab and his murderous wife Jezebel, who were hostile to Israel’s God, it must have been reassuring to have this man Elisha, who they recognized as a holy man, staying with them—a kindred spirit in the faith.

It was a life-giving relationship, and literally so, in that Elisha’s desire to return their generosity causes him to prophesy that the woman will have a son to care for her in her later years.

Being a prophet of God was hardly an easy and care-free life. Traveling the dusty roads from town to town, enduring the harshest of the desert climate of the Middle-East, they were itinerants, relying on God and the generosity of His people. It must have been a great encouragement to Elisha to know that whenever he passed that way, he knew that he had welcoming hosts, a guaranteed meal and a bed on which to lay his head. Simple, but life-giving generosity indeed. After all, even today, it is the generosity of parishioners in making their weekly offering to the parish that gives the priest a place to live, most practically speaking. It is your financial contributions that allow the parish to exist and to afford a priest of its own.

But equally important, it must have meant a lot for Elisha to know that in this place were like-minded people who worshipped the same God as he. Here, at least, was a safe place with people who understood his mission and his intentions. That reassurance really should not be underestimated. In a society today hostile to the message of the Gospels, the people of God, the people a priest serves in his parish, feed the priest’s spirit, not just his stomach. It means everything to the priest to see his pews filled, to know that he is surrounded by like-minded people who are striving for holiness.

The pandemic did a lot to interrupt that life-giving relationship between the people and their priests—to separate us from the sacraments, not just from the Eucharist and reconciliation, etc. - the sacraments of the church - but from that sacramental relationship that we are to each other. As the sacrament of Holy Communion is the visible sign of the invisible reality of God giving Himself to us, so your presence in church is a visible sign of the invisible reality of our need and desire for community and worship.

It’s the community that builds and strengthens the community. We offer each other support by our coming together in the faith to worship, to pray with and for each other. This is why a community cannot stay a community without communal gatherings, communal prayer and communal sharing of time and gifts.

As married couples are often reminded about the new “community” of family they are forming, the couple that pray together, stay together, so the same goes for the community of the parish. The priest needs the community of his parish as much as the parish needs him.

It has been an honor to serve you to the best of my ability here at St. Joan these past 3 years and I sincerely thank you for your hospitality and welcome.

From those early days when I arrived at the height of the pandemic and it was hard to find you and to work-out ways to meet the community, it has been heartening to see us finally put all that behind us and to return our hands to the plough and be about the task God has set before us.

I thank you sincerely for all the different ways in which you have welcomed me into your lives over the past 3 years. I thank you for your kind words of support, your cards, your generosity in over-looking my mistakes.

Thank you to all who came to offer their good wishes after mass on my final weekend, and for all of your cards and gifts.

I am confident that you will be as hospitable to Fr. Adam as he arrives here, and that you will “arrange a little room” for him as the Shunemite woman did, hopefully not on the roof, but at least in your hearts. A priest arrives at a new parish, not always knowing if he has a bed or chair or table or lamp, but the most important thing he hopes he will find there is the openness of the community to take him in and make him feel welcome. He brings with him his own gifts and talents and desire to serve you and I know you will make him feel at home.

God bless you now and forever.

You are in my prayers always.

adawson@princeofpeacecatholic.church 

4300 Walnut Lake Road

West Bloomfield, MI 48323

Whether you’re cultivating a life of prayer with Jesus for the first time or you’re trying to reignite that fire in your soul, the breadth of prayer advice can be dizzyingly overwhelming.

If you’re open to it, today, Fr. Mike has one more prayer to try out: T-A-R.

It might seem simple, but it might change your prayer life forever.

Heaven knows, there are all kinds of crosses.

For some, the crosses are emotional – family discord, social conflict, anxieties, and all manner of heartaches.

For others, the crosses are financial -- struggling to make ends meet, to feed families, or to maintain adequate housing.

And for many, to be sure, the crosses are physical. From the relatively “simple” matters like a headache or toothache, to the more serious issues such as cancer or chronic pain, the burdens can be difficult, even debilitating. 

A recent story in The Detroit News chronicled the particular difficulties of people with so-called “long covid.” Among the common symptoms that have been associated with this relatively new malady, the story said, are post-exercise malaise, mild to severe fatigue, brain fog, dizziness, heart palpitations, pain in the chest, unusually high levels of thirst, a loss of the senses of smell or taste, and others.

Covid wasn’t even on the radar just a few years ago, of course, and now there are statistically significant numbers of people suffering from its after-effects for long periods of time.

The story went on to describe, among other things, how the medical community is working to best address the needs of these patients over the long term.

There are probably a few lessons to be taken away from this situation.

One is that nearly everyone has a cross of some type they are carrying with them.

The other is that taking up those crosses and uniting our suffering with Jesus assures a good outcome.

“Whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me,” Jesus says in today’s gospel passage from St. Matthew. “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

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.

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.

7:00 a.m., Anna Marie Wilson

7:00 a.m., Debbie Albrecht

9:00 a.m., The deceased members of the McQuillan, Zaranek, Walters and Gaidis Families

7:00 a.m., Fr. Richard Stieber and a Special Intention for the Thorpe Family

6:00 p.m., Karen McMahon

7:00 a.m., Special Intention for the Family of Tina Calisi, Special Intention for Robert Wojcik

7:00 a.m., Robert Swalec and Dr. Peter Polidori

4:00 p.m., Bonnie Batche, Dr. Edmond Aubrey, Helen Blind, Paul Burt, Susan Federoff, Arlene Moody, Jerald Folske, Patricia Dimavicius, and and Special Intentions for the J. Champine Family, the Thomas Family, for Alison Reslow, for Pam Haisenleder, and for Christine & Jim Dodge on their 25th Wedding Anniversary

6:00 p.m., Elizabeth Howard

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

10:00 a.m., Ella LaChance & a Special Intention for the Dobson Family

12:00 p.m., Joseph Paluzzi Jr., Dottie Lubinski, Gene Seton and Special Intentions for Alison Reslow

Thursday (July 6):

Friday (July 7):

11:30 AM - Baptism of Penelope, Noah & Cohen Braithwaite

12:30 PM - Baptism of Skylar Rose McCaa

1:30 PM - Baptism of Opal Oneira Scavo

2:30 PM - Ava James Lewandowski