1) Mother's Day: We give thanks and praise to God for all moms and grandmas, for the love they have shown us, and for the many ways they have nurtured us over the years.

Every year on Mother's Day we read Father Rich's Beatitudes of a Mother which he wrote many years ago in honor of his own mom. If you are interested in downloading a copy of his Beatitude of a Mother, please click on the button below.

From Detroit Catholic:

ANN ARBOR — Not every mother-daughter relationship is full of roses all the time, but the lessons that one can take from them can beautifully fill the garden of life.

In the latest of 14 books written by the EWTN Catholic radio and television host, national speaker and Metro Detroit personality, Teresa Tomeo dives into the strength of her mom’s faith and the life lessons she imparted in her 94 years of life.

The impetus for writing "Everything’s Coming Up Rosie: 10 Things My Feisty Italian-American Mom Taught Me About Living a Godly Life" came after many years of speaking around the country, often quoting the wisdom that came from her mother, Rose Tomeo Squillace, a native of Jersey City, New Jersey, who lived most of her life in St. Clair Shores.

“The talk, which became the content of the book, was something that I had been doing a good 10 years and it was really well-received,” said Tomeo, a former reporter at WXYZ Channel 7 and longtime host at Ave Maria Radio in Ann Arbor (WDEO-AM 990).

The book was written to be insightful as well as comedic as Tomeo attempts to write her mother’s voice with her iconic Jersey accent.

“I just felt she didn’t get a proper send off,” Tomeo said of her mother, who died of congestive heart failure in March 2020 as COVID-19 lockdowns were beginning. “I wanted to give her a tribute.”

Tomeo said the book is relatable for many mothers and daughters, as it highlights how faith is intertwined with all episodes of life, some that are full of tragedy and others that are full of laughter.

“My mother was very practical and very funny. She would say, ‘If you want a pool, go fill up a garbage can,” Tomeo chuckled. “So, my sister and I washed out an old garbage can and tried it out.”

In a generation filled with "It’s all about me," the "greatest generation" of her mother's time taught that one can’t always have everything one wants, she continued.

Equating her mother’s wisdom to that of television personalities such as Sophia Petrillo of "The Golden Girls," or Marie Barone of "Everybody Loves Raymond," she noted her mother’s blunt personality and deep faith helped Tomeo become closer to her Catholic roots.

“People are longing for common sense and getting back to the basics,” Tomeo said.

The first chapter, "Awfa It Up to God, and Put It at the Foot of the Crawse," dives into her mother’s “version of Catholic teaching on redemptive suffering or letting it go,” Tomeo said.

The chapters also reflect on her mother’s Italian-American upbringing and how her faith was a foundation for her wisdom, despite growing up poor, a wisdom appreciated by her daughters later in life.

Each chapter ends with a prayer, a reflection, saintly words of wisdom and reflection questions.

“What it really helped me do was appreciate how practical and appreciative I am,” she said of her experience writing the book.

It also took her down memory lane, causing Tomeo to reflect on how often mothers and daughters struggle with their relationships.

“I think this book can remind us that if you won’t have the perfect relationship with your mom, it can be — you can reconnect and come back to the faith,” she said.

The book is available in paperback on Amazon or through Sophia Institute Press.

From Catholic Link: By Becky Roach Family, Pro-Life: JJ Heller, a popular Christian recording artist, has released a beautiful song as a tribute to her mom and you’re going to want to share with your own mom this Mother’s Day. Too often we don’t realize what a gift our parents have been to us until we are living on our own or when we have kids of our own. It is then that we finally begin to understand the many sacrifices our moms and dads made for our benefit.

As you listen to this song, let the words be a prayer of thanks to God for the gift of your parents, especially your mom. Even if they made mistakes along the way, they have given you the gift of life.

Don’t have to wait until Mother’s Day to tell your mom that you appreciate all that she has done for you. Give her a call today!

You gave me a drawer in your kitchen

You gave me the room with a view of the yard

Whatever the hurt, you knew right where to kiss it

You gave me the best of your heart

And you carried my rocks in your pocket

Flowers and feathers and butterfly wings

You had an answer for all of my questions

You showed me wonderful things

I know that it hasn’t been easy

I hope that I love like you do

‘Cause I know that this world would be better

If everyone had a mother like you

You make the best macaroni

We never cared that it came from a box

The mom in the stands always clapping her hands

Started cheering and still haven’t stopped

And you held me when I came home crying

‘Cause someone said something that just wasn’t true

I always said that Janelle was my best friend

But really it’s always been you

I know that I haven’t been easy

I hope that I love like you do

‘Cause I know that this world would be better

If everyone had a mother like you

Our second was born in September

I still can’t believe I have kids of my own

I look in their eyes and I can’t help but wonder

Who will they be when they’re grown?

I know it won’t always be easy

I hope I can love like you do

‘Cause I know that my kids will be better

If they have a mother like you

If I am a mother like you

‘Cause I had a mother like you

Not only does this song help us to appreciate all that our own mothers have done for us, but it also helps those who are mothers themselves reflect on what it really means to be called “Mom”.

The life of a mom is full of sacrifice and hard work, but Christ is our model of what it means to give of oneself for the good of another. Learn to appreciate the many blessings and joys that come with the gift of motherhood. Offer each day to God and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in your vocation.

By now, I hope you received your packet of raffle tickets; they were dropped in the mail last week. As I mentioned at the masses a few weeks ago, our Kickoff to Summer event will occur on Sunday, June 11, 2023, from 1 until 6 PM. It will include family-friendly activities, food trucks, and the annual raffle. More details about the day will be forthcoming soon.

I hope and pray you will consider buying or selling $100 worth of tickets! Your generosity will go a long way to help our amazing Parish to continue doing everything it does. PLUS, you might be lucky enough to win one of the raffle prizes!

Last year, we netted $119,000 from the raffle and proceeds from the food trucks. I am grateful for your extraordinary generosity in what you did to make last year’s event a fantastic success!

Here are the details you need to know about the 100% Drawings:

I also wanted to explain that the senior designation is based on the date of birth we have in our database for the oldest member of your household. So, if the oldest person in your home is 65 or older, you qualify for the senior designation, and the word “SENIOR” will be printed at the top of each sheet of raffle tickets sent to you.

Raffle tickets can be dropped off at the Parish Center (through the mail slot in the door), in the Sunday collection boxes, or mailed to the Parish Center (although please be aware that if you MAIL your tickets you run the risk of your tickets not arriving in time for the drawing). And please read through the enclosed checklist to help make sure your tickets can be processed quickly and accurately. Please contact the Parish Center (586.777.3670) or visit tickets.stjoan.church if you need additional tickets.  

Please know of my gratitude for your generosity! Let’s make our Kickoff to Summer Event and Annual Raffle a great success.

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!

In this week’s Encountering the Word video, Jeff Cavins reflects on the Gospel for the Sixth Sunday of Easter (Year A) and challenges us to ask ourselves if we truly love Jesus. The readings are:

First Reading: Acts 8:5-8, 14-17

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20

Second Reading:1 Peter 3:15-18

Alleluia: John 14:23

Gospel: John 14:15-21

Friends, on this Sixth Sunday of Easter, the Church gives us a kind of foretaste of Pentecost. In all three readings, we hear descriptions of the work of the Holy Spirit—the animating principle of the Mystical Body. What are the signs that the Holy Spirit is at work? Let’s look at five of them.

From Recovery Land: Thanks for all of your prayers and well wishes. I appreciate all the kind words, cards, and goodies that have made their way over to my house. I appreciate all of your kindness.

Many will laugh and say, “I told you so,” but I’m now willing to admit that I was absolutely insane to think I would be up, walking, and doing some parish things by this weekend. I insanely thought I would have walked over to Church last weekend for at least ONE mass. That obviously didn’t happen. Then I remember sharing with my mom, sisters, and Dr. Nicholas that for sure I would be up and “running” by Mothers’ Day Weekend. Albeit maybe not the full range of activities, but I intended on doing at least SOMETHING this weekend. I remember the whole group looking at me as if I had just landed on Earth from Mars and had no clue what I was talking about. Okay, I admit, I had NO CLUE what I was talking about. As I will now readily admit, and as anyone who has gone through knee replacement surgery knows, this certainly is no “piece of cake.”

When I hear that some people have done both knees simultaneously, I wonder if they were in their right mind when they convinced their surgeon to do that. Okay, maybe I’m just a wimp, but good heavens, I had enough issues just dealing with the pain from ONE knee surgery; I can’t imagine dealing with the pain from two knee surgeries at the same time. But then, it’s not just the pain from the surgery but all the fun you get to deal with because of physical therapy.

Thankfully, as I write this, I’m a whole week into my recovery. It’s been slower than I anticipated … but normal from everyone else’s perspective! My milestones have been pretty simple. I can now get out of bed myself and even out of my recliner by myself. Because my mom has also been under the weather, she and I have been recuperating together in my house, making it easy for my family. And the progress we’ve made there is that the family now trusts us being alone at night; if anything happened to either one of us, we’d be making calls for help because neither one of us would be able to help the other. And God bless my sisters, niece, and nephews who immediately jumped in and created “shifts” to care for us; it just happened, and I’m so grateful! Jackie took on the lion’s share of being our Florence Nightingale and coordinating our care. Thankfully, Jackie could do her work from my house while keeping an eye on us. And I’m grateful to my “food angels” who took care of feeding the crippled Monsignor and his mom so his family could focus on taking care of all their other needs. I didn’t realize all the work involved in the care and feeding of a crippled Monsignor! But then again, I’ve been told it’s a lot of work dealing with just a “healthy” Monsignor.

Then, I had the pleasure of starting physical therapy. Again, I thought this would be a piece of cake! NOT! This has been an experience too. But the people at David Gilboe and Associates have been GREAT! Talk about great coaches and cheerleaders. I didn’t realize Gilboe and Associates was such a great hangout for St. Joan of Arc Parishioners. From the moment I was greeted at the door by our own smiling Sue Schram to working with Josh Halas, Joe Fisher, and Julie Munson, I knew I would be in good hands. Talk about being patient! They are all the perfect people for their jobs!

Now, I’ve only been there three times so far, but there have been many times when I would give them this blank stare when they would ask me to do this or that. “ARE YOU CRAZY,” I would think to myself. “THERE is no way in the world I’ll be able to stretch my leg that far.” But with patience and determination, I’ve been able to endure it. And now I know why everyone says to make sure you’ve taken a pain pill or some Tylenol before going to PT. HOLY TOLEDO! And, yes, ice has been my absolute best friend. Those ice machines for physical therapy are the best!

So, yes, I’m on the road to recovery. I may not be ready to run a marathon (ah, that will never happen), but I’m getting better every day! My next milestone: Joining our saintly 99-year-old parishioner Rachel Allemon on her regular afternoon walk around the Parish Center block. AMEN. Blessed be God.

Annual Raffle Update: With the great help of Dina Ciaffone, Rachel Gerard, Anne Radatz, and Patty Kesner, the annual raffle ticket packets were printed, stuffed, and mailed this week. If you haven’t received your packet, know it’s on the way. It was fun coaching the ladies in the office by Zoom on how to deal with all the quirks of our printing press and folding machine. I wish I had recorded some of those conversations. I had many a laugh as we muddled through it all. I only wish I could have seen all the behind the scene stuff at the Parish Center as they diligently got everything accomplished. THANK YOU, ladies! If you have any questions about the Annual Raffle, or if you need more tickets, please do not hesitate to contact the Parish Center (586.777.3670 / info@sjascs.org). Further information can also be found at tickets.stjoan.church.

Happy Mother’s Day: As we celebrate this special day dedicated to moms, we take a moment to thank and pray for our mother, who gave us life and showed us love. We pray for mothers who lost a child through death that they may continually turn to their faith to find hope and assurance their child is in the loving arms of the eternal Father. We also pray for women who care for the children they encounter daily, even though they have no children of their own.

While looking for some reflections on Mother’s Day, I found this reflection from blogger Christy Wilkens: “Motherhood is a path for mothers to sanctify their families, and for mothers, in turn, to be sanctified by and through their families. And moms, in order to do this, God gives you the family that you need. I want to re-emphasize that. He gives you the family that you need. He doesn’t give you your neighbor’s family, or your best friend’s, or your frenemy’s. He may not even give you the family you want, the family you hoped and prayed for, the family you dreamed of since you were a young girl. For many of us, it means a family bigger or smaller than we imagined. But He gives you the family that will sanctify you.”

Since so many call or email around Mother’s Day seeking to find a copy of Father Rich’s Beatitudes of a Mother, a PDF copy of it has been posted on the homepage of our parish website. Consider sharing and/or reading Father Rich’s Beatitudes of a Mother at your Mother’s Day gathering!

Enjoy the week. Happy Mother's Day! Know of my prayers!

In Christ,

St. Zélie Martin, the mother of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, once wrote of raising five daughters: “I long for rest. I have not even the courage to struggle on. I feel the need of quiet reflection to think of salvation, which the complications of this world have made me neglect.”

This sentiment expressed by the saintly wife and mother is a reminder that the struggles that come with the vocation of motherhood — no matter who the mother — are many and real. Even, and especially, our Blessed Mother can attest to this. Think of the sword of sorrow piercing her heart at Jesus’ Presentation in the Temple; think of the panic and fear felt while she and Joseph frantically searched for Him at age 12; and, of course, think of her witnessing His excruciating crucifixion. For all of its joys, motherhood brings with it its share of crosses. Such is the blessing and curse of unconditional love. A mother is always mother to her children, no matter how old they are. 

I put my mother through more than her share of strife. I remember as a teen deciding that I no longer needed to keep my rock collection. I told my mom that I had thrown them about on the garden. “What did you have?” she asked, “Lots of fancy rocks and minerals,” I said, “...granite, pyrite, jasper, mica, arsenic, feldspar, basalt, quartz…”

“WHAT??! Did you say… ‘ARSENIC’?!!”

“Yeah... I found it in a river in Wales.”

“YOU PUT ARSENIC ON MY GARDEN BEDS?!!”

Somehow mom got stuck on that one. I still say it was an over-reaction...

In a General Audience in 2015, Pope Francis acknowledged the many challenges that come with saying “yes” to the vocation of motherhood, and he encouraged a deeper understanding and empathy of their daily realities:

“Perhaps mothers, ready to sacrifice so much for their children and often for others as well, ought to be listened to more,” he said. “We should understand more about their daily struggle to be efficient at work and attentive and affectionate in the family; we should better grasp what they aspire to in order to express the best and most authentic fruits of their emancipation. A mother with her children always has problems, always work.”

Motherhood in the 21st century brings with it its own special set of challenges, In addition to the not-so-simple task of raising kids to understand and appreciate the Faith, mothers now are faced with a culture that is antithetical to many Christian values, that is full of technology that both distracts and tempts, and that operates at a breakneck pace. The world has become can be a scary place to raise children,, in a society that wants to take the parents out of parenting and prevent them from raising their own children, or prevent them from knowing that someone else is coercing them. 

Despite these challenges, though, mothers also serve as a vital part of the antidote to the toxicity of the culture — it’s in mom that children can find encouragement and hope and acceptance.

Sociologists acknowledge that moms nurture what dads instill. The statistics show that overwhelmingly it’s the faith-practicing of the father that determines the likelihood of a child continuing the practice of the faith as an adult. Mom nurtures, but dad sets the standard of acceptability in the child’s mind. It was my dad who I was trying to keep happy as a teenager by attending church sometimes. Yes, I know this does not apply in every circumstance. God bless all the moms setting those standards in the absence of a father-figure. But the overall message is that the church that remains a church of active participants is the one where families attend mass together.  

“Mothers often pass on the deepest sense of religious practice: in a human being’s life, the value of faith is inscribed in the first prayers, the first acts of devotion that a child learns,” Pope Francis continued in his general audience. “It is a message that believing mothers are able to pass on without much explanation: these come later, but the seed of faith is those early precious moments. Without mothers, not only would there be no new faithful, but the Faith would lose a good part of its simple and profound warmth.”

As we celebrate Mother’s Day this year, take heart, all you moms. Like St. Zélie, there are times of struggle. Like Mary, there are times of sacrifice and pain. But you play, and have played, an indispensable role in the life of your children.

“A society without mothers would be a dehumanized society, for mothers are always, even in the worst moments, witnesses of tenderness, dedication and moral strength,” Pope Francis said. And when in doubt? Remember, others have been there.

“Love Our Lady,” St. Josemaria Escriva wrote, “and she will obtain abundant grace to help you conquer in your daily struggle.”

Thank you to all our moms, for all your worry, sacrifice and struggle. You are truly loved and appreciated, even when we forget to tell you and even when we turn your garden beds toxic… oops...sorry mom!

You are in my prayers this week.

adawson@sjascs.org 

It’s an age-old question; “Why do I have to confess my sins to a priest?”

Today Fr. Mike encourages and challenges us to see the Sacrament of Reconciliation not as a burden but as a gift from God. Your Heavenly Father wants to reconcile with you and offer you the grace of forgiveness and he does this through the humanity of the ordained priesthood.

If you’re interested in Renewed or Received, check out a free preview!

16) Words on the Word: May 14, 2023 - Here is the Church

If there was any doubt about the importance of family life to the health and growth of the church, there shouldn’t be.

We’ve always been taught the family is the so-called “little church,” or first church, and a recent survey of future priests goes a long way to … ahem, drive the point home.

According to an article in the National Catholic Register, a survey of 458 seminarians scheduled to be ordained this year showed that “about 93% of ordinands were baptized Catholic as infants, another 96% were raised by their biological parents, about 92% were raised by a married couple living together, for 84% of ordinands, both parents were Catholic” and “one in three respondents had a relative who is a priest or religious.”

Wow. The numbers, as they say, do not lie.

“Surveys of recently professed men and women religious and men ordained to the priesthood show that families and encouragement from parish priests alongside Catholic schools provide optimal environments for a vocational call to grow,” one local bishop was quoted in the story as saying.

There’s plenty of bad news out there; that much is clear. But surveys like this show there is a clear path forward, if only we all do our part, starting in the family.

“Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts,” St. Peter says in today’s second reading. “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame.”

So go ahead; have hope. And feel free to point to foundations of the future, through Christ, that are coming out of families.

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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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., Dorothy Shuder

7:00 a.m., Bernard J. Champine

7:00 a.m., Gerard Rogier

6:00 p.m., A Special Intention for Alison Reslow

7:00 p.m., The deceased members of the Rogier & Dettloff Families

7:00 a.m., John Frahm and Judy Frahm

4:00 p.m., Bonnie Batche, Joan Weber, Dr. Lori Karol, Helen Blind, Christopher Weingartz, Aldo Cardosi, Robert Swalec, Jaclyn Maul, Al Embo, Michael VanOost, and a special intention for the J. Champine Family, the Thomas Family, for the Muer & Thurber Families 

6:00 p.m., Daniel Benedis

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

10:00 a.m., Ivan DeClercq 

12:00 p.m., Sam Ciaramitaro, Michael Ciaramitaro, Kathleen H. Doak, George Petroff, Rosario Medina, Jose Medina, Jeffrey Hardy, Daisy Marie Buenavista, Feliciana King, Ed Baranek, Richard & Anna Soulliere, and a Special Intention for Alison Reslow

Thursday (May 18):

Friday (May 19):

7:00 AM - Mass

10:00 AM - Special Needs First Communion and Closing Mass

12:30 PM - Baptism of Carter & Emery Wieseckel

1:30 PM - Baptism of Quinn Sandstrom

4:00 PM - Mass

6:00 PM - Mass