Week of September 11, 2022 |
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1) Want to become Catholic? Are you an Adult who Wants to be Baptized?
A New RCIA Group starts meeting next SUNDAY
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How Do I Become Catholic? Watch the Video Below!
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2) SJA School Gala INFO & Dinner Ticket Link |
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What is the Gala? It is the school’s largest fundraiser, with ALL proceeds benefiting our wonderful school! This is the 16th year!
We need auction donations, parent volunteers, and your participation through raffle-ticket sales for our event to succeed. Raffle tickets will go on sale next week.
Even better: We need you and your friends to attend! Tickets are NOW available! See the link below. Dinner, dancing, and both a live and silent auction! Are you an SJA Alumni? Get a table for all of your SJA friends!
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4) Faith Formation Registration is OPEN |
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5) Faith Formation Help Needed |
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Dear Friends in Christ,
This year’s Catholic Services Appeal (CSA) theme comes from the First Letter of Peter: “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” (1 Peter 4:10). It’s a call for hospitality and service, and to “let love for one another be intense.”
The Catholic Services Appeal is an opportunity to celebrate the ways our Church in Detroit responds to the material and spiritual needs of individuals and families. Our parish alone could not meet these many needs. It is through the sharing of our gifts and our service that we, together, can be the Church Christ wants us to be.
Would you consider making a gift to this year’s CSA?
Your generosity makes it possible for more than 170 ministries, services, and programs to love intensely and to bring the indescribable joy found in Christ to our communities.
Our CSA goal this year is $211,447. 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.
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: sja.aodcsa.org 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.
Assuring you of my prayers, I remain,
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Msgr. Mike
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7) CSA Update as of September 7, 2022 |
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I am grateful to those who have already contributed to CSA 2022. As of today, we have $181,375 in pledges and gifts toward our $211,447 goal ($155,426 has been paid thus far toward our total pledged amount). This amount represents gifts from 559 families (we have 3,336 families registered). We have thus achieved 85% of our goal!
Here is a breakdown by gift range:
$2,500+ (8)
$1,000+ (35)
$500+ (40)
$250+ (97)
$100+ (205)
$75+ (8)
$50+ (79)
$25+ (61)
$10+ (23)
$0+ (3)
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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8) Ukraine Relief Efforts |
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If you are interested in supporting the Catholic Church's relief efforts for the people of Ukraine, please click here to donate through our OSV Online Giving Platform. |
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9) This Sunday's Readings - September 11, 2022, The Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time |
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10) Sunday Reflections by Jeff Cavins |
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“Coming to his senses he thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger” (Luke 15:17).
In this week’s Encountering the Word video, Jeff Cavins offers words of encouragement inspired by the parable of The Prodigal Son.
This Sunday’s Readings are:
First Reading: Exodus 32:7-11, 13-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13, 17, 19
Second Reading: 1 Timothy 1:12-17
Gospel: Luke 15:1-32
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11) Bishop Barron's Reflection for the Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time |
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Friends, in this Sunday’s Gospel, we encounter the infinite, extravagant, radical love of the Creator for his creation. Jesus paints for us, in three parables, a portrait of God: he is, if I can borrow that lovely phrase from Catherine of Siena, “pazzo d’amore”—crazy in love with us, including the lost sheep and the prodigal sons. |
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12) Grow+Go for the Twenty-fourth 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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13) 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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14) This Week's Edition of TALLer Tales |
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I’m Getting OLD(er): As I inch toward being 60 years old (yikes, how did that happen), I don’t need anyone to remind me that I’m getting OLD(er)! The signs are all around me. I can’t stay up until the wee hours of the night anymore. My days of midnight grocery shopping at Meijer’s are long past. I fall asleep in my chair, even in the middle of the afternoon. I’m starting to see doctors more often. Last week, I shared how I left my car on after I parked it and locked the doors. And this week, it’s all about parking!
Parking correctly is an interesting item as we age. I’m convinced that as we age, our parking habits worsen. When you’re younger, you worry about what people think about you. So you tend to be diligent and think the whole world has eyes on every move you make, even when you park your car. Then as you age, you could care less about many things. Even what we say changes. Suddenly, that which was only once said with the “inside voice” is now said with the “outside voice;” there is no filter!
I often say that another sure sign of someone getting older is watching how they park. I’ve taken delight over time in taking pictures of how people park in our lots for Mass. Several times in the past, I’ve even had to make kind and gentle announcements at Mass about how people park their cars, often giving gentle reminders that parking within the lines is best for everyone! I remember one time that someone missed the parking spot entirely. They parked in the middle of the aisle, which resulted in them blocking traffic for all those who were trying to leave after communion (okay, this one wasn’t so bad after all). It’s one thing when snow covers the lots and you can’t see the lines, but it’s another thing when you can plainly see those lines!
A few days ago, I had an appointment with my foot doctor. He’s about my age but has been the podiatrist for my grandparents, parents, and several other family members. I enjoy yapping with him and his staff. As I walked out of the office and into the parking lot, I looked at my car and laughed out loud. I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t miss the front end of the parking spot by a few inches or a foot … it was more like five feet. And even worse, I didn’t notice it when I exited the car to go into my appointment.
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Yikes, last week, I left my car on. This week, I parked my car like an older person. I know, I know, those who have trodden this path already will tell me this is JUST the beginning! How is this happening so quickly? I’m only 58!
The Spiritual Consequences of Living a Hurried, Busy Life … Part 2: This is a continuation of my reflection on and quoting from an article written by Frank Powell, a young adult minister, entitled, “7 Spiritual Consequences of Living a Hurried, Busy Life.” The full article can be found at http://bit.ly/SpiritualConsequences. It’s a quick read if you want to read the whole article.
Last week, I reflected on the first of the seven spiritual consequences mentioned in the article. Mr. Powell’s first point was that a hurried life destroys your relationship with God. Think about it; the devil loves it when we live hurried, busy lives because it takes our attention off God and destroys our relationship with Him. The devil LOVES busyness.
The second spiritual consequence mentioned in Mr. Powell’s article is “A hurried life feeds ‘approval addiction.’”
“When your life moves at a hurried pace, you seek validation and approval in a hurried way. This explains why social media resonates with so many people. The Instagram photos and Facebook posts give you instant validation. No need to invest in relationships where people actually know you. That’s time-consuming. Our culture is ‘in bed’ with large followings and spotlights. The short-term result is validation. But the long-term consequences are burnout, loneliness and over-commitment.”
As we all know, crowds are fickle. As Mr. Powell points out in his article, people “friend” you on Facebook until you say something controversial or something they don’t like. Election cycle time is the worst, and it’s amazing how many friendships are suddenly on rocky ground because of what happens or is said on Facebook and other social media platforms!
This is also true in Church ministry. People ‘like’ an individual church or parish until they don’t like an individual or church philosophy or teaching. They “unfriend” it by avoiding that priest/pastor, or they simply go to another church or even switch denominations. Sadly, I’ve known many people who give up on the Catholic Church and attendance at Mass because they’ve gotten into a disagreement with a priest or parish, sometimes over something so petty or inconsequential.
As Mr. Powell notes, “Jesus never catered to the crowds. He often retreated from crowds to be alone. He gave his most controversial sermons when the largest crowds gathered around him. In fact, on one occasion in John 6, Jesus said something so controversial that many of his disciples left and never followed him again…. We love the instant validation from a packed auditorium on Sunday morning. But Jesus didn’t care about Facebook likes or packed auditoriums. Jesus knew you couldn’t point a crowd to God if you needed their approval…. You can’t preach the difficult message of self-denial if you attract people on the basis of self-interest. You can’t embrace the scandalous, radical life of Jesus if you need the approval of others. Jesus knew this. That’s why he disengaged from the crowds. He wanted to be driven by God’s desires, not the crowd’s demands.”
Here’s an essential question: Are YOU driven by God’s desires, or do you cater to the crowd’s demands? This week, focus on God’s desires for you, not the crowd’s demands. In the end, remember that God is the only one who offers you salvation and eternal life … the “crowds” can never do this!
Next week: A hurried life decreases your capacity to love others.
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Enjoy the week. Know of my prayers.
In Christ,
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15) Tire Tracks in the d’Arc |
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Be Careful What You Ask For: A few weeks ago I asked Dina for a rake. I wanted to turn over the soil in my garden bed which had become very overgrown and I wanted to pull out the weeds. I wasn't necessarily going to do it immediately. The next day I was out in the backyard and two of our gardeners, Thelma and Debbie showed up, complete with a carload of tools and set about pulling-up all the undergrowth. Since the tools were there, I decided to take a saw to one of the trees at the back of the yard. There are maybe four of them, but this one has been dead at least a couple of years. The trunk was too much to get through with clippers, so Thelma said she’d ask her husband, Chuck, to bring his chainsaw. I didn’t know she meant right away! But within 10 minutes, there was Chuck and the chainsaw. Well, when you have a chainsaw available, you make use of it, so we set about trimming some of the other low hanging branches. Before we knew it, my backyard looked like the aftermath of a tornado. |
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After we were done trimming though, it looked much better, but the stump of the dead tree couldn’t be dug out. So, to the next escalation… Chuck went and got the tractor! We seemed to have overshot the request for a rake by a long way! |
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So we got the stump out and cleared away all the branches, but you know what happens when you paint a wall in your house. Suddenly, you need to paint all the walls, then the ceiling looks old, so you re-do that. Then you have to replace the carpet, which make the couch look old, so you need a new couch…. Before you know it, you’re putting a new roof on the house. I’m looking around at the thinned trees and weeded garden bed and I decide that I need to sand the fence. It’s about 100ft long and of course I chose a day when I was on staycation and it was 96 degrees… |
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I like doing this kind of work and it was about 4 hours work all in all. I think, however, by the end of it, I was wearing more of the fence than was left standing! |
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I was only going to sand the fence… but looking at it, I thought, “ya know, that would look better stained with a little color.” So I cleaned-up and headed to the hardware store, and then a second hardware store, where I found the stain I was looking for. I bought two cans to stain another day.
When I began staining, it was quickly obvious that the 2 gallons would not be enough because the wood was still so rough. So I headed back to buy 2 more. If you think the price of a gallon of gas went up steeply this summer, you should have seen my reaction to finding that a gallon of the same stain had gone up by $20 in a week! But once you’re half-way, you’re committed. The first coat took 8 hours, the second just an hour and a half, so the wood was saturated. I was happy with the result, especially when the sunlight hits it.
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“But something’s missing,” I thought. It’s pretty dark back there, especially in the winter, so maybe that fence ought to have lights on it. Two week later, I hung lights and added a timer so the lights to come on in the morning and the evening. It’s amazing how good these LED 1-watt bulbs are… |
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But then, I still wasn't done. I decided that it would still be good to have some greenery out there in the winter, so I bought four tiny evergreen trees to put along the fence. I researched to find some trees that would be small enough to not dominate the fence, could thrive in partial shade, and not become a maintenance issue. These trees have a maximum height of 2 feet and could take 20 years to reach that height! So obviously, being so small, I didn't want them to be lost completely, which is why I build the planter boxes in last week’s column. |
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I still recall one of my middle school teachers saying, “be careful what you ask for. You just might get it.” That rings in my head now when I remember asking Dina for a rake...and I don’t think I’m done yet! Last weekend one of the trees was removed from outside the school and since there was a chainsaw, I took the remains of another pallet over to be dissected…. And I came away with birch tree logs that I will “do something with.” Another project looms! |
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You are in my prayers this week.
Fr. Andrew
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16) Ascension Presents: Father Mike Schmitz |
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Judgmental, Bigoted, Homophobic, Elitist, and Hypocritical (The World’s Perception of Christians)
One of the most difficult groups to bring the Gospel to right now is young adults. Fr. Mike proposes that it’s not a lack of time or interest preventing them from receiving the Good News—it’s their perception of Christianity.
How can anyone evangelize in a culture so opposed to Jesus? We need to meet a hurting world where it is at and bring it the only medicine that will heal it.
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17) Words on the Word: September 11, 2022 - Distractions from God
We all, in a sense, have our molten calves.
“Go down at once to your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, for they have become depraved,” the Lord says to Moses in today’s first reading from the book of Exodus. “They have soon turned aside from the way I pointed out to them, making for themselves a molten calf and worshiping it, sacrificing to it and crying out, ‘This is your God, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.’”
Our false Gods are assuredly not metallic livestock, but, in a very real sense, most people – even people of goodwill – deal with material distractions.
Local media reported a few weeks ago on a former Macomb County man who recently was sentenced to more than 11 years in federal prison for defrauding victims out of $4 million in false investment schemes.
“This defendant lied to his victims in order to carry out his fraud,” a United States attorney was quoted as saying in The Detroit News. “He told his victims he was investing their money for legitimate construction projects when in reality he used their money on himself at casinos, restaurants and on entertainment.”
Again, our molten calves, our distractions, hopefully do not reach this level of magnitude. But we have them just the same. Perhaps it’s wealth. Perhaps power or honor. Perhaps other pleasures of this world.
Any or all of them, when not kept in right order in our lives, can distance us from God; sins that require repentance and a turning back to the Lord.
When we do repent, we know God in his infinite mercy will be waiting with open arms.
“So the Lord relented,” the reading concludes, “in the punishment he had threatened to inflict on his people.”
© 2022, Words on the Word
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18) The Bible in a Year Podcast by Father Mike Schmitz |
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If you’ve struggled to read the Bible, this podcast is for you.
Ascension’s Bible in a Year Podcast, hosted by Fr. Mike Schmitz and featuring Jeff Cavins, guides Catholics through the Bible in 365 daily episodes.
Each 20-25 minute episode includes:
- two to three scripture readings
- a reflection from Fr. Mike Schmitz
- and guided prayer to help you hear God’s voice in his Word.
Unlike any other Bible podcast, Ascension’s Bible in a Year Podcast for Catholics follows a reading plan inspired by the Great Adventure Bible Timeline® learning system, a groundbreaking approach to understanding Salvation History developed by renowned Catholic Bible teacher Jeff Cavins.
Tune in and live your daily life through the lens of God’s word!
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19) 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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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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21) Mass Intentions for the Week: |
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Monday, September 12, 2022, Weekday, The Most Holy Name of Mary (Green/White)
7:00 a.m., Allen Laturno
Tuesday, September 13, 2022, Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (White)
7:00 a.m., Ann Marie Rogier and Dennis Fleming
Wednesday, September 14, 2022, The Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Red)
7:00 a.m., Mary T. Hobig and a Special Intention for the Reeb and Gray Families
Thursday, September 15, 2022, Our Lady of Sorrows (White)
7:00 a.m., Audrey Benedis
Friday, September 16, 2022, Saints Cornelius, Pope and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs (Red)
7:00 a.m., A Special Intention for Ashley Allemon
Saturday, September 17, 2022, Vigil of the Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Green/White/White)
4:00 p.m., Joseph & Averil Cottone, Bonnie Batche, Edward & Henry Blind, Sal Ventimiglia, Thomas P. Dailey, Joan Weber, Dr. Lori Karol, Ricky Banasinski, the deceased members of the Huvaere & Kerby Families, and Special Intentions for the J. Champine Family, for the Thomas Family, for Jessica Smith, for Cameron Tull and for Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence Bjorngaard on the 50th Anniversary of their Marriage
6:00 p.m., Betty Bennett
Sunday, September 18, 2022, Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Green)
8:00 a.m., For the Intentions of Saint Joan of Arc Parishioners
10:00 a.m., Sam Ciaramitaro
12:00 p.m., Dolores (Dolly) Farah, Anna Mae Reinhard, Pearl Doetsch
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22) This Week on St. Joan of Arc LIVE: |
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This week's LIVE Stream
Schedule at St. Joan of Arc:
Monday (September 12):
7:00 AM - Mass
Tuesday (September 13):
7:00 AM - Mass
8:30 AM - School Mass
Wednesday (September 14):
7:00 AM - Mass
10:00 AM - Funeral for Theresa Kohn
Thursday (September 15)
7:00 AM - Mass
7:00 PM - Holy Hour
Friday (September 16):
7:00 AM - Mass
10:00 AM - Funeral for Thomas Kniaz
Saturday (September 17):
10:00 AM - Funeral for Charles Brackx, Jr.
12:30 PM - Baptism of London R. Noriega
4:00 PM - Mass
6:00 PM - Mass
Sunday (September 18):
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.
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23) SJA's Bulletin for Sunday, September 11, 2022 |
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Click on the image below
to download a copy of the bulletin
for September 11, 2022
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24) Weekly Bulletin Mailing List |
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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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