Dear Friends in Christ,
Here are a few updates from the parish for the week of July 25, 2021.
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1) First World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly |
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Pope Francis has decided to institute a Church-wide celebration of a World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly.
Starting this year, it will be held on the fourth Sunday of July, close to the liturgical memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus.
To download the Holy Father's Message for this day, click on the link below.
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Prayer for the First World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly
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I thank You, Lord,
for the comfort of Your presence:
even in times of loneliness,
You are my hope and my confidence,
You have been my rock and my fortress since my youth!
I thank You for having given me a family
and for having blessed me with a long life.
I thank You for moments of joy and difficulty,
for the dreams that have already come true in my life and for
those that are still ahead of me.
I thank You for this time of renewed fruitfulness to which You
call me.
Increase, O Lord, my faith,
make me a channel of your peace,
teach me to embrace those who suffer more than me,
to never stop dreaming
and to tell of your wonders to new generations.
Protect and guide Pope Francis and the Church,
that the light of the Gospel might reach the ends of the earth.
Send Your Spirit, O Lord, to renew the world,
that the storm of the pandemic might be calmed,
the poor consoled and wars ended.
Sustain me in weakness
and help me to live life to the full
in each moment that You give me,
in the certainty that you are with me every day,
even until the end of the age.
Amen.
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As we celebrate this first World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, consider calling or texting your grandparents if they are still alive or say a prayer for them if they have already gone home to heaven. Let them know how much you appreciate their love, advice, and tender care. |
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2) Bishop Barron on the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist |
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Both Deacon Tom and Deacon Dominick referenced in their homilies this weekend the utter tragedy that about 50%+ of Catholics do not understand or believe in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Deacon Dominick mentioned a talk that Bishop Barron gave on this very topic at the recent Eucharistic Congress in Los Angeles. His talk is about an hour-long but very worthwhile to watch. |
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3) 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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4) SJA's CSA Update as of July 25, 2021 |
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I am grateful to those who have already contributed to CSA 2021. As of today, we have $121,311 in pledges and gifts toward our $217,002 goal. This amount represents gifts from 384 families (we have 3,236 families registered). We have thus achieved 56% of our goal!
Here is a breakdown by gift range:
$2,500+ (3)
$1,000+ (27)
$500+ (38)
$250+ (69)
$100+ (138)
$75+ (12)
$50+ (53)
$25+ (23)
$0+ (21)
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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5) This Sunday's Readings - July 25, 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 17th 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 Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jeff Cavins celebrates the unity Catholics have in the Eucharist as he reflects upon the Gospel story about Jesus feeding the five thousand. |
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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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The Toolbox: As the “Bugarin Four,” … aka the Bugarin children …, when we were growing up, I often wondered why our dad ALWAYS locked his toolbox. And even though we would search and search for the key, we could never find it. So if you were looking for a tool, you were better off searching for that tool someplace else in the house because Dad’s workbench and tools were locked down tighter than Fort Knox.
Being “grown-up” now, I know why Dad always had his toolbox locked. I’ve discovered as a Pastor … a father … that tools, and many other things, tend to wander. I’ve often said around the parish that I needed my own electronic closet for all the stuff I depend on kept under lock and key. But, it’s only at SJA that I truly began to appreciate why Dad locked his toolbox. And, given my life, when I go looking for things, it’s ALWAYS at the “ninth hour,” and people are waiting on me to start a video or do this or that.
Fast forward to today. My mom has been on a cleaning and “thinning” binge at the condo for the past two months. If she hasn’t seen or touched something in two years, out it goes. I’ve been amazed by all the stuff stashed away. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I still have things from Rome down in their basement. Remember, I lived in Rome from 1986 to 1991; all that stuff is WELL BEYOND the “two-year” touch policy.
On one of our recent cleaning days at the condo, I went downstairs and started to work on my dad’s workbench. I began to clear out and organize the drawers before I started to tackle the workbench top itself. But up in the far left corner of his workbench sat THE TOOLBOX. It’s the same toolbox that sat on this workbench when we were kids. That toolbox has almost become an iconic “thing” for me. And, as I stared at THE TOOLBOX, my eyes focused on THE LOCK. Now, I haven’t paid much attention to THE TOOLBOX for eons because I’ve rarely needed to hunt down a tool in my dad’s workroom. I carry my own tools in my car, so I always have what I need to work on things. People laugh at me because the entire cargo area of my Acadia is filled with toolboxes and bins so I can do a repair or fix something, electronic or otherwise, on-demand.
I somewhat froze as I looked at THE TOOLBOX … because it was THE TOOLBOX I tried breaking into hundreds of times as a kid and teenager. I tugged at the lock, and it was, of course, locked. I looked over my shoulder as if my dad was watching and then started to look for the key, as I did hundreds of times as a kid, teenager, and young adult. My dad has this stackable parts bin on his workbench filled with nuts, bolts, nails, golf tees, golf cleat pins, spare Christmas bulb parts, etc. I can’t believe this, but I searched for the key through EVERY drawer of that stackable parts bin area. Things haven’t changed in 50 years! That key had to be hidden downstairs, SOMEPLACE. I continued to look and look but found nothing. I became growingly convinced my dad took that key to his grave!
I then did the unthinkable! I found the hack saw on my dad’s pegboard of tools and began to saw off the lock. As I was sawing away, I wondered if there was some treasure beyond tools sitting in that toolbox. It took a few minutes, but the toolbox was now free. All I could hear going off in my head was, “OH MY GOSH, you sawed off THE LOCK on THE TOOLBOX … wait ‘til Dad finds out.”
I cautiously opened the toolbox as if I was at the ultimate golden grail of treasure hunts. I felt like Indiana Jones, but in my own Raiders of the Lost Ark. The contents of THE TOOLBOX had always been a mystery. This can’t be real, and I couldn’t believe what I just did.
I opened THE TOOLBOX … and found nothing but a bunch of old tools … a treasure trove in their own right for my dad. But now I felt guilty. It felt like I had committed a mortal sin and I needed to go to confession! Yikes. Still stunned by my getting into THE TOOLBOX, I looked over my shoulder and almost expected my dad to come running down the stairs to catch me in the act and ground me for days. The mystery of the contents of THE TOOLBOX was now solved. But I still want to know where he hid that key. It was probably closer than we all realized, and my dad is probably having an absolute field day laughing at the whole experience.
The Sacrament of the Sick (Part FIVE): Human illness can and does teach us the virtue of patience! When we put it into the proper perspective, though, we realize that in the sufferings we endure (if we endure them properly and with faith), we are uniquely joined to Christ in his suffering for the salvation of the world. If we adopt the “woe is me attitude” and turn in on ourselves, then we will never see the redemptive value of our human illness. However, if we realize there is a redemptive value in our suffering and graciously accept it as part of God’s will for our life, then we can become those saints mentioned in the beautiful prayer I shared last week: “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 ….”
Sometimes children can realize this more readily than adults. “What you have hidden from the learned and the clever you have revealed to the childlike (Matt. 11:25).” I recall one SJA kid saying he felt it was better he had the terminal illness than his siblings. He knew God had given it to him for a reason. He was often found visiting other oncology pediatric patients while he was receiving chemotherapy. He wasn’t focused on himself but looked for ways he could teach through his illness. He turned his cross into something redemptive for himself and those around him. I remember another SJA student who showed and encouraged his family and friends not to fear his illness or impending death. He taught us the gracious art of dying.
Yes, many times, we are given crosses we do not want. But as a people of faith, we have to accept that these crosses are given to us as a gift, a precious gift from God, a gentle kiss from Christ. We can be sour and ruin the lives of those around us, or we can accept the particular cross as part of God’s will for us and then turn that cross into something redemptive. Everybody likes Easter Sunday, but few want to embrace Good Friday. Just remember, you cannot get to Easter Sunday unless you have lived through the pain of Good Friday and the emptiness of Holy Saturday. It is all a matter of perspective. It is all a matter of faith. It is what redemption is all about!
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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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Distractions: One of the things priests hear pretty often in confession is about people’s distractions during prayer, so I wanted to address this here.
Probably not many of us ever think of the Catechism of the Catholic Church as a book to sit down and read like a great novel…. And it’s not supposed to be that. It’s a valuable resource, a reference book that defines the core truths of the Catholic faith as precisely as possible, often in some pretty technical language. But the section on Christian Prayer is different.
Several years ago, I was driving an old Chevy Beretta in northern Michigan and I heard a “clunk” sound. Looking in the rear-view mirror I saw a chunk of metal, so I stopped, picked it up and took it to a mechanic and asked what it was. He gave me a technical answer first, then, looking at my blank stare, told me what I needed to know with nothing hidden, “Okay, so if you park in tall grass (which I just had!), this piece stops the grass from catching fire!” “Okay,” I said, “got it.” The Catechism’s section on prayer reminds me of this. It’s such down-to-earth language. The Church “gets it”. This is the “okay, I’ll level with you, this is what you need to know” language that helps us to see that the Church understands that prayer can be a struggle. But it’s a struggle worth engaging in because to pray is to let your heart gaze upon heaven and let God see your heart’s wounds and scars, its hopes and desires. And guaranteed, if you have EVER prayed at all, to whatever degree, you will recognize yourself in what it has to tell you.
The scriptures regularly highlight our need for persistence in prayer. I strongly recommend taking a look at the Catechism, Part Four, Chapter 3 – “The Life of Prayer,” beginning at paragraph number 2697. Here’s a selection:
2725 Prayer is both a gift of grace and a determined response on our part. It always presupposes effort.…Prayer is a battle. Against whom? Against ourselves and against the wiles of the tempter who does all he can to turn man away from prayer, away from union with God.
2726 In the battle of prayer ….many Christians unconsciously regard prayer as an occupation that is incompatible with all the other things they have to do: they "don't have the time." Those who seek God by prayer are quickly discouraged because they do not know that prayer comes also from the Holy Spirit and not from themselves alone.
2728 Our battle has to confront what we experience as failure in prayer: discouragement during periods of dryness; sadness, disappointment over not being heard according to our own will; wounded pride.…The conclusion is always the same: what good does it do to pray? …We must battle to gain humility, trust, and perseverance.
2729 The habitual difficulty in prayer is distraction. It can affect words and their meaning in vocal prayer; it can concern, more profoundly, him to whom we are praying, in vocal prayer (liturgical or personal), meditation, and contemplative prayer. To set about hunting down distractions would be to fall into their trap, when all that is necessary is to turn back to our heart…. Therein lies the battle, the choice of which master to serve.
2730 In positive terms, the battle against the possessive and dominating self requires vigilance, sobriety of heart. When Jesus insists on vigilance, he always relates it to himself, to his coming on the last day and every day: today. The bridegroom comes in the middle of the night; the light that must not be extinguished is that of faith: "'Come,' my heart says, 'seek his face!'"
2731 …. Dryness [in prayer] … when the heart is separated from God, with no taste for thoughts, memories, and feelings, even spiritual ones. This is the moment of sheer faith clinging faithfully to Jesus in his agony and in his tomb…
2732 The most common yet most hidden temptation is our lack of faith.… Sometimes we turn to the Lord as a last resort, but do we really believe he is? Sometimes we enlist the Lord as an ally, but our heart remains presumptuous. In each case, our lack of faith reveals that we do not yet share in the disposition of a humble heart: "Apart from me, you can do nothing."
2733 Another temptation… is acedia, …a form of depression due to lax ascetical practice, decreasing vigilance, carelessness of heart. "The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." The greater the height, the harder the fall…. The humble are not surprised by their distress; it leads them to trust more, to hold fast in constancy.
2744 Prayer is a vital necessity…. How can the Holy Spirit be our life if our heart is far from him?
This Sunday we begin Jesus’ Bread of Life teachings from the Gospel of John. We will hear from this section of the Gospel for a few Sundays. Jesus wants us to know that as we pray at mass, and always, we should never forget that He is present among us in the Eucharist. Never, ever forget that. And as we pray at mass, and after receiving Jesus, remember that He knows and understands everything you are experiencing, everything you brought with you to mass and everything that might be a cause of distraction to you. You couldn't be closer to Him at any moment than that moment of prayer after revceiving the Eucharist. Maybe He wants those distractions, which are clearly on your mind, to be brought to Him in your prayer at that time. Maybe rather than distractions from your prayer, they are in fact what Jesus wants to be the subject and content of your prayer. Take those distractions and tell Jesus about them.
Don’t Mess with the Priest!: There has been somewhat of a competitive edge around the Parish Center lately. Much discussion has gone into who is staying hydrated this July. Somebody, for sake of argument, let’s say it was a business manager named Dina, had a weedy little 32oz bottle and was trumped by Rachael, our secretary’s 64 oz bottle. So Dina then got herself a copycat bottle:
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Just maybe I showed off my 128oz bottle: |
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Then somebody, let’s say maybe it was someone named Dina thought it would be funny to leave this on my desk. |
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All I’m saying is, when you mess with the priest, know that you might end up in a homily or a bulletin article! |
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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 25, 2021 - Eyes on the Road
A 1980s-era television police procedural always began with an admonition to the team: “Let’s be careful out there!”
It was a message from the sergeant to the officers heading out for their shift, but it might just as well apply today, to everyone heading out on the roads for trips near and far:
“Be careful out there!”
Road rage has been much in the news lately. A few weeks ago, as an example, local media reported on an incident that began, according to a story in The Detroit News, with “two cars that ‘side-swiped each other’ on the Interstate 94 service drive at Nine Mile then entered the freeway.”
The story went on to say that, subsequently, someone from one of the cars proceeded to fire gunshots at the other car. No one was hurt, according to the story, and a suspect was in custody.
That event followed others, according to the story, including two incidents within 24 hours on the Southfield Freeway, an event on the Lodge Freeway, and the fatal shooting in Troy of a Detroit firefighter after what also was reported to have been a road rage incident.
Certainly driving is not always the most calming experience. And certainly others who make mistakes or are overly aggressive can elicit some anger, even among generally calm people.
But in such circumstances, perhaps we can take St. Paul’s own admonition for humility to heart.
“I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,” St. Paul tells the Ephesians – and us – in today’s second reading, “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace.”
In doing so, we’ll all be on the road to a more peaceful life.
© 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 26):
7:00 AM - Mass
Tuesday (July 27):
7:00 AM - Mass
Wednesday (July 28):
7:00 AM - Mass
Thursday (July 29):
7:00 AM - Mass
7:00 PM - Holy Hour (Silent)
Friday (July 30):
7:00 AM - Mass
Saturday (July 31):
1:30 PM - Baptism of Brady D. Forhan
4:00 PM - Mass
6:00 PM - Mass
Sunday (August 1):
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 25, 2021 |
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Click on the image below
to download a copy of our
Bulletin for July 25, 2021
The 17th 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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