Week of November 24, 2024

1) Thanksgiving Day Masses

Please consider starting your Thanksgiving Day celebrations by joining us for mass at either 7:00 AM or 9:00 AM. The 9:00 AM Mass will be celebrated with the parishioners of the parishes in our Family of Parishes (St. Joan, St. Lucy, Star of the Sea, St. Veronica, and St. Basil).

You can also join us online at livestream.stjoan.church.

2) Annual Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan Collection

Every November, Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan (CCSEM) reaches out to the faithful in the parishes of the Archdiocese of Detroit through its annual appeal. Won’t you help CCSEM care for the least ones who are the images of Jesus Christ among us? Please give generously to the 2024 November appeal in support of our ministries. CCSEM annually brings help and hope to more than 20,000 persons, regardless of their race or religion, culture, or creed, and serves families from all walks of life through our 14 locations in the six counties of southeast Michigan.

3) SJA Giving Tree Project 2024

The “Giving Tree Project” is a special charitable project designed to match our parishioners’ generosity with our community’s needs during the Christmas holidays. The project serves 100% local individuals who may not otherwise receive a gift at this special time of the year. This year, we have also taken on additional charitable organizations that focus solely on gifting children’s toys. In addition to our gift cards and online giving, we will have boards in the Gathering Space with tags for toys to be purchased.

HOW IT WORKS:

PURCHASE GIFT CARD(S): 

The Giving Tree will accept gift cards again this year. This decision makes it safer and easier for our parishioners to participate. It also makes the program more flexible for our charity agencies.

Buy plastic* gift card(s) valued from $15-30 (per card). You may purchase more than one, but please make sure limits fall within per-card limits of $15-$30.

* tangible gift cards, please, no electronic vouchers. Please ensure the cards have been activated by the retailer that issued them.

STORES ACCEPTED: Meijer, Walmart, and Target

WHERE TO BUY: At the named retailer, most drug & grocery stores, or online.

LET US PURCHASE THE GIFT CARDS FOR YOU: You may donate again this year via our online giving platform by clicking the button below and indicating the amount you want to donate. We will take care of the rest.

PURCHASE TOY(S):

New this year, there are 100 gift tags for toys on boards in the Gathering Space. They are specific to the age and gender of the child. Please bring the purchased toys unwrapped and place them in the red bins with the tag attached. Gifts can also be brought to the Parish Center.

DEADLINE for all donations: Monday, December 9, 2024

Bring your marked envelope(s) to the Parish Center Office during office hours or place it in the locked collection boxes in the Sr. Carol Center or the Parish Center Lobby.

4) High School Youth Group

5) High School Information Night

6) Ascension's Bible and Catechism App

It's Here: The Bible & Catechism App!

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.

7) Holy Hour on Thursdays

8) This Sunday's Readings: November 24, 2024 - the Solemnity of Christ the King

9) Sunday Reflections by Jeff Cavins

“The Kingship of Jesus”

Solemnity of Christ the King

In this week’s Encountering the Word video for the Solemnity of Christ the King, Jeff Cavins emphasizes the theme of Christ’s kingdom and how it permeates the Gospels.

This Sunday’s readings are:

First Reading – Daniel 7:13-14

Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 93:1, 1-2, 5

Second Reading – Revelation 1:5-8

Alleluia – Mark 11:9, 10

Gospel – John 18:33B-37

10) Bishop Barron's Sunday Sermon

Which Kingdom Are You In?

Friends, we come to the end of the liturgical year with the Feast of Christ the King, where we meditate upon the kingly reign or rule of Christ. Now, we in the modern liberal West have a hard time with kings; we like democratic polities. The United States emerged out of a great rebellion against the king. But we should get over this modern hang-up, because kingship—from Adam all the way up to Christ—is a basic biblical idea. And the importance of today’s feast is that it forces a decision about which king we follow.

11) Grow+Go

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 the button or image below to download a PDF copy of this Sunday's Grow+Go.

12) Giving to SJA:

I'm truly grateful for your support of SJA. 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.

13) TALLer Tales

Traveling with Ms. Daisy (Part 10): Yikes, it’s the bulletin before Thanksgiving already! Because I always like posting some thoughts about Thanksgiving Day, I will post my concluding travelogue about the Eastern Seaboard Journey with Ms. Daisy … aka my mom … next week!

Thanksgiving Day (Part One): Of all holidays, Thanksgiving Day is at the top of my list. While Christmas and Easter are up there too, this one, as far as a national holiday, is one of my favorites. It’s one of my favorites because I usually have only one liturgy (a rarity with holidays), and more importantly, it’s a day to celebrate with family and friends. There’s no gift-giving; you simply get to “be” with family and friends. And I dare say we need to spend more time with family and friends.

As with all holidays and holy days, we need to reflect upon them in their proper context. Thanksgiving Day isn’t just about parades, turkey, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, and football! It’s about being thankful to God for all he has given us. Going around the dinner table and asking people to share what they are thankful for would be a great way to start or end your gathering.

Thanksgiving Day (Part Two): Please consider starting your Thanksgiving Day celebrations by joining us for mass at 7:00 am or 9:00 a.m., whether in person or online (livestream.stjoan.church). It’s a great way to celebrate Thanksgiving Day with your “church” family! For the 9:00 a.m. Mass parishioners from St. Lucy, Our Lady Star of the Sea, St. Veronica, and St. Basil parishes will also join us. As is our custom, the collection taken up at the 9:00 a.m. mass will be given to our local St. Vincent DePaul Society Conference. Your contributions help our local Vincentians assist the poor and needy who live within our parish boundaries!

Thanksgiving Day (Part Three): Over the years, Mitch Albom has written several thought-provoking columns about Thanksgiving. I wanted to mention two of those columns here. The first column was written in 2010; it was entitled “The Turkey Shrinks as the Absences Grow.” In this column, Mitch spoke about how missing Thanksgiving Day with family and friends was once unthinkable. Years ago, Thanksgiving with family encompassed the whole weekend. In recent years, he writes, “the holiday has been shaved, like one of those giant wedding cakes that slowly gets sliced away.” Today, however, the turkey “shrinks” as the excuses trickle in. People have all kinds of excuses why they can’t attend the usual family Thanksgiving Day (weekend) celebrations. The saddest reality, as Mitch points out, is that people are missing the best part of Thanksgiving … being with family! Mitch’s article is a great read and worth sharing with family and friends. You can find this column at Mitch Albom’s website: mitchalbom.com; search for “The Turkey Shrinks.”

The second Mitch Albom column I wanted to call your attention to was written six years ago. It’s entitled, “Empty chairs, empty table, but still Thanksgiving.” In this column, Mitch mentioned how he decided to set an extra table for Thanksgiving. It wasn’t for the kids or the extra desserts. It wasn’t for the out-of-towners. Rather, this table was for all those who “are no longer coming, all those who filled the house with laughter and stories and singing and arguments, and who, sadly, will never walk through the door again.” That year was the first time Mitch hosted his Thanksgiving Day celebrations without his parents. We can all relate to Mitch’s thoughts as it seems that as we age, every Thanksgiving now brings about more people who sadly fill those “empty chairs.” As I write this, I was thinking how cool it would be if we could actually revisit those Thanksgiving Day gatherings of, say 10 years, 20 years, or 40 years ago and see and hear those beautiful people who have already gone home to the Lord.

Mitch writes, “Now, like so many of my older relatives, my parents are gone. But I can still see them. Hear them. So I’m setting a table. Empty chairs.” Mitch then walks down memory lane and recalls the family members who once filled the seats at his family Thanksgiving Day dinners. He recalls their stories and what they often wore or brought. Mitch profoundly recalls how Thanksgiving for his family was a once-a-year opportunity to gather both immediate and extended family for a long weekend. It’s different now, he writes. It’s not the same as it once was. He also recalls how the absentees grow as he himself grows older. “One by one, they disappeared from the Thanksgiving table, and each year we mourned the latest absentee, until the absentees outnumbered the original attendees…. You can’t keep things alive. I’m learning that, painfully. No matter how much you love something, or someone, their existence is out of your control. You can weep. You can wail. But you can’t summon them back. All you can do is carry on and remember. So I pull out the furniture and move it around, if only in my mind, which is where so much of this holiday lives. Empty chairs. Missing loved one. Lord, how their voices once filled the room, as their echoes fill it now.” I encourage you to read the whole column. It can be found at Mitch Albom’s website: mitchalbom.com; search for “Empty Chairs.”

Thanksgiving Day (Part Four): Several years ago, I found a great editorial column about Thanksgiving Day posted in the archives section of the New York Times website. The piece was originally published on November 18, 1869. Here are a few snippets: “Thanksgiving is the Home Holiday. We have no sweeter festival in the calendar…. We need more holidays in our American life. We have many anniversaries, but few days sacred to friendship (and) faith …. This is the feast day of Family and of Friendship. Many a truant son and daughter will cross seas and travel weary miles to sit in the old pew, and hear the familiar psalms, and gather around the fireside with those they love. The real meaning of this day is Coming Home. There are no traditional glories, no memories of sacred adventure or suffering to divide it. It has but one embracing sentiment. ‘God has blessed us,’ we say, ‘and we thank Him in our homes.’ While we come together and thank God for his manifold kindness … let us remember that with our privileges there comes a duty always present, but in seasons like this, commanding and imperative. In the fullness of our own joy we must not forget those who are poor and sick and cast down by bitter fortune. The Master to whom so many praises will be sung this morning showed no holier attribute of divinity than when he taught us that true Christianity gave clothing to the naked and food to the hungry, and opened the prison doors to those in bonds. We have many prisons around us, where poverty and misfortune and hard necessity hold their victims with sterner grasp than with chains and bars. It is for us to open these doors and break these bonds, to spread our substance and store, to lend the helping hand and bless the day with deeds of charity. As we do to others so may we hope that others will do to us and our children. This is the lesson of the day. By its full observance we can make a true Thanksgiving, and show that the gifts we have received from the Father of all have not fallen upon hard and stony ground.”

Enjoy the week. Know of my prayers!

A blessed Thanksgiving to you and your family!

In Christ,

gmb@sjascs.org

14) Voiland's View

During the course of my lifetime I’ve had the honor of knowing some people who have a truly positive attitude. We have such persons here at St. Joan’s. They are rare birds. I think I could count the number of them that I have run across on both hands. To say that they have a positive attitude does not mean that they are purely optimistic all the time. Optimists are much more common than these folks are. Optimism comes in varying degrees and can apply to different segments of our lives. For example, some people see each new Lions, Tigers, or Red Wings season as an opportunity to win a championship – even if it takes a miracle. Other people are confident that the human race will eventually eliminate poverty. Still others think bigger; they sense that, through its ongoing development, humanity will eliminate all disease and defeat physical death. 

We Christians have an eternal confidence that God’s will shall ultimately come to pass, that we will be able to get to Heaven and be with God forever. All of these levels of optimism pale in comparison to the positive attitude I have seen in some folks.

There are these people among us who are not hung up on waiting to be happy. They are happy now, even though they have plenty of reasons to be unhappy. They suffer through life with a smile! They constantly look past the bad to grab hold of the good. Honestly, it can be frustrating to witness. Being around a person who won’t let obvious evil – sickness, abuse, marital trouble, financial troubles, spiritual emptiness, and other things – steal their joy, is confounding and convicting. Such people can easily make us feel guilty for whining about trivial daily inconveniences while they have a smile on their face as they battle cancer or heart disease or life in a wheelchair. These are extraordinary human beings.

What seems to possess these remarkable people is a flood of unstoppable gratitude. Because they are so absorbed with thankfulness for the good things they have, they don’t have the time to devote to bellyaching about their troubles. And troubles they have! This overwhelming positive attitude seems to primarily show up in the people who would seem to have the most to complain about. But they don’t. It should make us think about how soft we have gotten. Our common reaction to most situations in our overly affluent civilization is to first complain about what is lacking before we exalt in what is abundant.

Giving thanks for abundance is what the celebration of Thanksgiving is supposed to be about. Giving thanks cannot be merely an annual event if we are to be genuinely happy, though. Gratitude should not be restricted to just a daily exercise. Thankfulness should underlie everything we do. Gratitude is a conscious decision to focus on the giftedness of life. Precious days are wasted when we dwell on the burdens we have created by abandoning God and turning in on ourselves. Complaining simply does no good. It doesn’t fix anything. On the other hand, being grateful is empowering. We take control of life’s situations when we identify the positive aspects of our lives and embrace them.

The unique and gifted individuals who embrace the goodness in their lives, and radiate it out to others, weren’t necessarily born that way. It’s more likely that their suffering led them to make a decision to take control of their happiness. They probably realized that they were better at making themselves miserable than anyone else – and they had enough. They came to terms with the difficulty of living each day, that it was not going away. They realized that, even if they were only twenty-five-years-old, they were dying a little bit each day. But dying is not the same as being dead. Wearing out is not the same as complete collapse. A difficult relationship is not necessarily a destructive relationship. And even when death does finally come, for the Christian, it means life!

So, thankfulness for the present, even the difficulties of the present, is key to happiness. Not funny, ha-ha, grab-another-drink, and crank-the-music-up happiness. But deep-seated, contentment-in-your-soul, everything-is-going-to-be-alright happiness. We can be thankful that we are on the right path . . . a hard path . . . but the right path. It’s the path to eternity with God, walking (sometimes crawling) with Christ. People who can be thankful all the time on the journey with Jesus are simply amazing!

Happy Thanksgiving,

Fr. Bob

rvoiland@sjascs.org

15) Ascension Presents: Father Mike Schmitz

What Catholics Should Know About Superstitions

Did you know that superstitions are a sin? In this video, Fr. Mike dives into the topic of Friday the 13th and other common superstitions, shedding light on how they can reveal something about our hearts. Often rooted in fear, superstitions are a sin against the First Commandment, showing our desire to control or predict the future.

Fr. Mike also discusses how Catholics can sometimes fall into superstition through their approach to saints, prayers, and sacramentals—such as treating the scapular like a good luck charm. He emphasizes that our trust should be placed in God and his goodness above all else.

16) Words on the Word: November 24, 2024 - Christ Above All

Here’s something from the file of post-Election Night oddities.

Prior to the election, New York’s famous Empire State Building announced on its social media channels that it would illuminate its top floors either red or blue to “announce” the results as so-called swing states started to report their respective presidential race outcomes.

As the results started to come in, the building was briefly illuminated in red a few times, indicating Republican victories.

In this age of near-constant political division, of course, it didn’t take long before someone complained; no surprise there. But what they said was curious:

“May Zeus himself strike this building down,” someone wrote on the building’s social media site, according to a media report. Setting aside that the reaction may be a bit over-the-top, the choice of words was odd; would someone in this day and age really call on Zeus, the ancient mythological god, to take action?

Was it “just an expression,” or did the commenter really believe that, somehow, Zeus would be at a level equal to God?

It’s a great reminder to us that there is only one true God, and on this, the feast of Christ the King, we proudly raise the banner to ensure the truth resounds.

“As the visions during the night continued, I saw one like a Son of man coming, on the clouds of heaven,” we hear from the Prophet Daniel in today’s first reading. “When he reached the Ancient One and was presented before him, the one like a Son of man received dominion, glory, and kingship; all peoples, nations, and languages serve him. 

“His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, his kingship shall not be destroyed.”

Amen. Amen. All glory, honor and praise to the Lord Jesus Christ, on election night, now, and forever!

© 2024 Words on the Word

17) This WEEK on FORMED:

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:

• 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.



18) 52 Stories: Good News from Spirit Juice Studios

Prepare to be Inspired

Spirit Juice Studios is blessed to work with countless Catholic organizations, dioceses, parishes, and schools. We get to help them tell their powerful stories about all the good stuff that is happening within the Church. Sign up for 52 Stories so we can share them with you! You’ll meet the unsung heroes of the Catholic Church, discover the stories of holy women and men around the world, and witness miraculous moments of God’s grace in everyday life.

In a world full of bad news, these stories will give you 52 reasons to believe that God is working through the Catholic faith to transform lives through His love and mercy. Sign up today!

Who Is This Priest?

In this Emmy Award-winning piece, the nobility and beauty of the call to the priesthood is shown through the personal witness of the seminarians and priests of Saint Francis de Sales Seminary. Shown at the 2019 Archdiocese of Milwaukee Gala, “Who is the Priest?” serves as a powerful expression of the vocation to the priesthood in the Church today.

19) Hallow App:

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.

20) Mass Intentions for the Week:

Monday, November 25, 2024, Weekday; Saint Catherine of Alexandria, Virgin and Martyr (Green/Red)

7:00 am: Shelly Nowak

Tuesday, November 26, 2024, Weekday (Green)

7:00 am: Jay Finn

Wednesday November 27, 2024, Weekday (Green)

7:00 am: Mary Hobig

6:00 pm: Deceased members of the McQuillan, Zaranek, Walters and Gaidis Families

Thursday, November 28, 2024, Weekday - Thanksgiving (Green/White) 

7:00 am: Hugo Calisi

9:00 am: Roseann Coules & Dennis Lex

Friday, November 29, 2024, Weekday (Green)

7:00 am: Anthony Lombardi

Saturday, November 30, 2024, Vigil for the First Sunday in Advent (Purple)

4:00 pm: Patricia Golla, C. Pat Walters, Bonnie Batche, Mary Steele, Lawrence Rybicki, Mary LaFata, David Sperry, Thomas Benoit, Jeffrey Blizinski, David Damm, Gabriel Nehro, Param Troyer, Helen Sadler and Special Intentions for the J. Champine Family and the Thomas Family, Tricia Troyer and Tina Calisi

6:00 pm: Mario & Ann Catalanotte

Sunday, December 1, 2024, First Sunday in Advent (Purple)

8:00 am: The Intentions of SJA Parishioners

10:00 am: Robert Boesiger

12:00 pm: Steve Finn, Raymond Strussione, Paula Nagel, and a Special Intention for Tina Calisi

21) This Week on St. Joan of Arc LIVE:

This week's LIVE Stream

Schedule at St. Joan of Arc:

Monday (November 25)

7:00 AM - Mass

7:00 PM - Baptism of Ivie Stella Jessica Horton

Tuesday (November 26):

7:00 AM - Mass

12:00 PM - Funeral for Joan Fabor (Read Obituary HERE)

Wednesday (November 27):

7:00 AM - Mass

6:00 PM - Mass

Thursday (November 28 -Thanksgiving Day):

7:00 AM- Mass

9:00 AM - Mass



Friday (November 29):

7:00 AM - Mass

Saturday (November 30):

122:30 PM - Baptism of James R. Skelton

1:30 PM - Baptism of Henry D Gross

2:30 PM - Baptism of James Murray

4:00 PM - Mass

6:00 PM - Mass

Sunday (December 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 cannot 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.

22) SJA's Latest Parish Bulletin

Click on the image below

to download a copy of the bulletin

for November 24, 2024

23) Weekly Bulletin Mailing List

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.



24) Detroit Catholic