Week of September 8, 2024

1) Interested in becoming Catholic? Do you need to complete your sacraments of initiation? Join the next OCIA class!

Learn More About the OCIA

2) Faith Formation Registration

Register TODAY for Faith Formation

3) Scriptural Foundations for Catholic Leadership

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4) New Study Series: Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Mary

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5) Walking with Purpose - Women's Bible Study Opportunities

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6) SJA's Youth Group Meeting

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7) Children's Choir

Learn More about Children's Choir or Sign Up Today

8) CSA Update

If you have not yet given to this year's CSA, please do so soon. We still need to raise $8,199 to reach our goal.


You can give online by clicking on the link below, by calling in your pledge/gift, or by picking up a CSA packet in the Parish Center or in the Gathering Space of Church. Your gift is important and enables us, the Church in Detroit, to carry out Christ's ministry of mercy and love throughout southeast Michigan and beyond — works no one individual or parish could possibly do alone!

Donate to the CSA Today

9) GALA Save the Date - Saturday, November 2, 2024

10) Celebrating Marriage with the Saints of Umbria with Deacon Dom and Teresa

Get a $250 Discount Through Septemb

Download Full Brochure
Learn More About the Trip

11) St. Anne Parish's (Fr. Adam's New Parish) Sausage Festival

12) Pregnancy Aid Detroit Gala

Buy Tickets Today

13) SVDP's 17th Annual Friends Walk

To Learn More or to Register Click HERE

14) 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.
Download the App Now
The Ascension App Includes:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

…And we're just getting started. More to be announced soon!
Download the App or Learn More

15) Holy Hour on Thursdays

16) This Sunday's Readings: September 8, 2024 - the Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Readings for the Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

17) Sunday Reflections by Jeff Cavins

“Do I Love the Poor?”


In this weeks Encountering the Word, Jeff Cavins reflects on showing partiality and judgement towards others.


First Reading: Isaiah 35: 4-7a

Responsorial Psalm: 146: 6-10

Second Reading: James 2: 1-5

Alleluia: cf. Matthew 4:23

Gospel: Mark 7: 31-37


18) Bishop Barron's Sunday Sermon

Be Opened! 



Friends, our Gospel for today is the evocative scene of Jesus healing a man who cannot hear and cannot speak. This man is beautifully symbolic of many in our culture today: we don’t listen to God, and therefore we can’t speak clearly about God. To us, as to him, Jesus says, “Ephphatha!”—be opened to the Word of God!

19) 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.

Grow+Go PDF for the Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

20) 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.

Donate Electronically to SJA

21) TALLer Tales

The Golden Child: If there are kids and grandkids, there’s a Golden Child or Golden Grandchild. It’s not necessarily a title one places on him or herself but is given to you by your siblings or cousins. It’s funny to watch and hear the banter that happens (at least that’s what happens in my family) between the other siblings or cousins when the “Golden One” is perceived as getting special attention or treatment. “OH, there’s the Golden Child,” or “There’s the Golden Grandchild.” The “shout out” usually includes massive eye-rolling or “air quotation marks.”


According to my sisters, when the “Golden One” (okay, me) makes a mistake, does something wrong, or accidentally does something foolish, it usually gets quickly forgiven or brushed off. Okay, I’ll admit it’s true! But I’ll also be quick to fix whatever I did!


Unfortunately, this “Golden Child” has had a few significant mishaps lately with mom’s stuff, and the mishaps haven’t been simple!


When my mom and I visited Tahquamenon Falls in July, we saw a guy traveling around the park in this slick wheelchair. He was zipping around the boardwalks and uneven paths with great ease. The power chair caught my mom’s attention, and she stopped the guy at one point to have a conversation with him about it. We ended up meeting him at his car, and he gave us all the details about the make and model of the chair and why he liked it so much. At the top of the list was that it folded compactly and didn’t weigh that much.


As soon as we returned to Daisy Loo, my mom started doing her research. After reading all the positive reviews, she started on the hunt to see where she could find one close to home to try it out. Her search led her to a wonderful place a few miles from her condo: Mobility Plus on Mound Road in Shelby Township. Neither of us knew the place existed! It was a gem of a find! My mom bought the chair directly from Mobility Plus, and with the help of Alan, the owner, the power chair was put in the back of my mom’s car.


Later that day, my nephew J.J. swung by the condo and got the chair out of the car and into my mom’s garage. That gave my mom a chance to practice with her new motorized vehicle! She drove it around the garage, up the ramp, and around the house. It’s pretty powerful and moves quickly! It’s pretty impressive.


Equally impressive is how it folds up and how lightweight it is. With its battery, it only weighs 43 pounds. So, for those of us who help my mom, the chair is easy enough to get in and out of a car. While she doesn’t intend to use it for shorter excursions it’s perfect for some of our touring around or like going to Michigan Central Station.


On Friday, August 16, my mom, Jackie, Lonnie, and I decided to make the journey to Michigan Central Station. As you know from my mass announcement about the Michigan Central Station exhibit, our family had an incredible time there and was so impressed with the whole experience!


Now, Daisy Loo has all kinds of awesome features, but because it’s a Class B RV, it has almost no storage space. While there are small storage bins inside the van, there is no outside storage. So, with the help of Facebook Marketplace, we bought a used Thule hitch-mounted storage container. The Thule is big enough to store my mom’s walker, a few duffle bags, and my tools when we’re on the road. But the task now was to determine how the new power chair would fit in the Thule.


I already knew the power chair couldn’t lie down in the Thule. So, I decided to put the power chair on its side. I disconnected the power chair’s joystick and safely tucked that away. I then tilted the wheels, hoping to quickly close the Thule’s lid. When I went to close the lid, it wouldn’t latch all the way. I reached inside and tried to determine how much clearance I had; then, with a bit of a heave-ho force, I got the lid securely latched. Eventually, I knew I needed a better solution, but this would have to do for our excursion to Michigan Central.


We eventually found parking on a grass field that many were using. I felt like we were parking at a country fair! We got out of the RV and then got out my mom’s new toy. She sat down and started working the joystick like she had been using it for years. I was impressed by how it handled the various terrains with ease.


While going through the exhibit, Jackie and Lonnie pointed out that the power chair’s back left tire was wobbling severely. I thought it was loose, so I didn’t give it much thought. We continued with our little experience and eventually returned to Daisy Loo. My mom loved being able to experience the whole exhibit without becoming too tired or sore from what would have been a lot of walking.


I then lifted the power chair back into the Thule and immediately noticed that the lid closed easily. Considering the force I used to close it when we left, I thought it was odd that it closed so easily now. We went to dinner, and then, after Jackie and Lonnie had taken off, I decided to pull the power chair out of the Thule to work on it. I thought this would be a quick fix with a few turns of a screwdriver or allen wrench. Was I wrong!


When I pulled the power chair out of the Thule cargo carrier, I immediately saw that the wheel wasn’t loose; it was cracked … and cracked pretty severely. My initial thought was that the wheel was defective. But then I quickly recalled the force I used to close the Thule’s lid and how easily I could close the lid after our experience at Michigan Central. Right away, I knew I wasn’t dealing with a defective wheel but rather a defective driver who should have known better than to give the Thule’s lid the old “heave-ho” to make it work. Ugh! The power chair wasn’t even a few days old and was broken already!


I then timidly went inside my house and shared the bad news with my mom. I felt SO BAD. My mom was gracious about the whole matter and simply said, “Oh well, accidents happen.” 


After our family dinner that Sunday (and it happened to be my sister Cindy’s birthday), my sisters and I went to Daisy Loo so I could show off my latest mishap! I opened the Thule container and showed them the wheel. “WOW, you did a number on that thing,” one of them said. Cindy then turned to Jackie and said, “Thank God it happened to the ‘Golden Child.’ Could you imagine if one of us had done that?” 

Enjoy the week. Know of my prayers!


In Christ,

Msgr Mike Simple Signature 2

gmb@sjascs.org

22) Voiland's View

When I began taking classes at Sacred Heart Major Seminary, one of the first classes I took was called Introduction to Spirituality. It was a good class and what I learned in it was very important to me. There were a few things that I took away from the class that were indeed life-changing. One of those things has taken a number of years to develop. It has to do with Sacred Scripture and prayer.


A bit of explanation about the Spirituality class itself is helpful to provide context for the learning experience I’d like to share. The final exam for the class was an oral exam. The way the exam worked was that the professor asked the test-taker a series of questions which got progressively more difficult. When we got to a question we could not answer, the test was over. The farther one got in the question-answering process, the better the test score. Now, I don’t remember any of the questions I answered correctly. But I do remember the one I got wrong, that stopped me: “What is the masterwork of prayer in the Old Testament?”


Huh? The masterwork of prayer? I thought about some of the prophet’s conversations with God. I thought about the books of Wisdom and Proverbs. I thought about the how much I wished I knew more about the Old Testament. Finally, I thought I was not going to get this question right. I didn’t. The answer was the Psalms. Never crossed my mind.


Not only did it never cross my mind to consider the Psalms to be a “masterwork of prayer,” the Psalms never really crossed my mind much at all. Like much of the Old Testament, I found the Psalms difficult to read. They are structured much like poetry, and I was never particularly good at reading poetry. So, it followed that I was not drawn to reading the Psalms. The Psalms were primarily written to be set to music. They are more like hymns, with the words being lyrics. Thus the poetic nature of their composition and the artistic flair that went into creating them demands a more thoughtful spirit when reading them – maybe even a prayerful spirit – in order to appreciate them. Even so, I still had a hard time thinking of them in terms of prayer . . . much less a masterwork.


Well, like it or not, I was to become much more intimately involved with the Psalms. For one thing, we already are constantly exposed to the Psalms – the Psalm Response – after the first reading at every Mass that is celebrated. Furthermore, deacons and priests are required to pray the Psalms as part of the Divine Office every single day. One of the vows taken by a deacon or priest at ordination is that we promise to pray a prescribed set of prayers, the Divine Office, at least five times a day, but as many as seven times in a day. Every set of prayers includes some of the Psalms, on a rotating basis. Day in, and day out, clergy and many religious brothers and sister pray the Psalms.


There are days when reading so many words is challenging. Torturous, maybe? When one feels drained from a non-stop day of difficult ministry, stopping to read some rather complex poetry is not so appealing. But other days, when there is time of sit with the texts, to figure out who is speaking to whom; to detect when God is angry or pleased with his subjects; to follow the whole history of the Israelite people in a tight little lyrical package; to hear Christ cry out from the cross before he was even born; to be struck by a phrase that explains the nature of man; reading the Psalms can be pretty cool.


What I personally found about the Psalms is that I had to read them a lot before they started to bear any fruit for me. I’m sure there are many folks who have a natural affinity for the Psalms, who find themselves naturally propelled into their beauty. They would find someone like me to be a pathetic neanderthal. So be it. But I’ve managed to rise ever so slightly from the muck. My promise at ordination to recite the Psalms daily has forced me into a relationship with them that does bear fruit. Certainly, the times persist when cracking open the Breviary (the book with the Divine Office prayers) to pray is last thing I want to do. But there are other times, actual sublime experiences, when a phrase jumps off the page into my dim mind and lights it up. The author of the Psalm transcends time and shows me something that I have been unable to see before. That’s fruit! Nice, ripe fruit.


For anyone hungry for a deeper relationship with God, it is worth it to consider the psalms as a possible source of conversation with him. This conversation would be what we call prayer. It might take a while to build a relationship with the Psalms themselves. It has taken me a while – and it is still developing. If you try, you might have to take small bites and chew on them longer. You might have to pick the right time of day for your mind to be open to the form of the Psalms. But think about giving them a shot. I found there is more there than I ever expected. The Psalms are probably even a masterwork. But I’ll just keep plodding along, picking up my little bird crumb insights from them along the way.


In the Master’s Love,

Fr. Bob

rvoiland@sjascs.org

23) Ascension Presents: Father Mike Schmitz

How Can I Know That It’s Actually God’s Voice?


How can you discern if the voice you’re hearing is genuinely God’s? How can you be sure it isn’t just your own thoughts or even something deceptive?


Fr. Mike offers insight into recognizing God’s guidance by asking key questions: Does the voice contradict Scripture or the teachings of the Church? Who does the voice sound like, and what are the characteristics of God’s voice?


He explains that divine guidance is often confirmed by its fruitfulness—bringing lasting peace, joy, and alignment with God’s will. Fr. Mike encourages us to trust God step by step. He says it does not take blind leaps to see how even the most minor acts of faith can produce meaningful fruit over time.

24) Words on the Word: September 8, 2024 - Have and Have Not

In his letter to the Philippians, St. Paul notes that he had “learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry, of living in abundance and of being in need.”


That perspective is remarkably helpful for all of us as we navigate the financial circumstances of our lives. Whether we have or have not, do we always keep God as the center of our lives?


Local media reported a few weeks ago on a Jackson County woman who recently won $4 million in the Michigan Lottery. According to a story in The Detroit News, the woman won “on a whim” after “she randomly bought the tickets;” apparently, she only occasionally buys a ticket or two.


Her plans for the money: “to donate part of her winnings, continue working and save the remainder for her retirement.”


Solid. Simple. Sensible.


And a great reminder that wealth can accrue for those whose talent, drive and good fortunes allow. And money and wealth can be lost, as well, for a variety of reasons. And God has a hand in both scenarios.


It applies to us, and, just as importantly, it applies to our brothers and sisters. We’re reminded to treat others accordingly.


“Show no partiality as you adhere to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ,” we hear in today’s second reading from St. James. “For if a man with gold rings and fine clothes comes into your assembly, and a poor person in shabby clothes also comes in, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say, ‘Sit here, please,’ while you say to the poor one, ‘Stand there,’ or ‘Sit at my feet,’ have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil designs.”


People’s worth is not measured by the size of their bank account, to be sure. Everyone deserves to be loved.

© 2024 Words on the Word

25) 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.



Sign Up for FORMED.ORG TODAY ... it's FREE!

26) 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!

Sign Up for 52 Stories

I'm Emma and I'm Adopted


Emma beautifully describes how, as an infant, she was brought into a loving home by parents who were unable to have children. Her birth mother, incapable of raising the child on her own, unknowingly gave Emma the greatest gift of all: life and happiness.

27) 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.

Activate your Free Hallow Subscription Today

28) Mass Intentions for the Week:

Monday, September 9, 2024, Saint Peter Claver, Priest (White)

7:00 am: Martha Gray and Catherine Reeb



Tuesday, September 10, 2024, Weekday (Green)

7:00 am: Dennis Fleming



Wednesday, September 11, 2024, Weekday (Green)

7:00 am: Jesse F. Champine


6:00 pm: Allen Laturno



Thursday, September 12, 2024, Weekday (Green) 

7:00 am: Marlina Sunga



Friday, September 13, 2024, Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (White)

7:00 am: Ann Marie Rogier



Saturday, September 14, 2024, Vigil for the Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Green)

4:00 pm: Mary Hobig, Marion Malloy, the deceased members of the Pacini Family, Bonnie Batche, the deceased members of the Kiwak Family, Thomas J. Pollack, Martin Krall, Thomas Benoit, Souraya Nehro Moses, Dennis Lex, Maggie Mae Douglas, and Special Intentions for the J. Champine Family, the Thomas Family, Diana & tom Ziolkowski, Alison Reslow and Donna Lawrence


6:00 pm: Martin Gray and a Special Intention for the Reeb and Gray Families



Sunday, September 15, 2024, Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Green)

8:00 am: The Intentions of SJA Parishioners


10:00 am: Audrey Benedis


12:00 pm Ralph Mastay, Pearl Doetsch, Joseph Cottore, Joan Stewart, Margaret Hartung, Gabriel Nehro, Robert Boesiger, Nick Dicresce, Daniel Bommarito and Special Intentions for Alison Reslow, Ray Dinser, Patrick Urso, Courtney Jurek, and Sammy Manalo

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

SJA's LIVE Stream Page

This week's LIVE Stream

Schedule at St. Joan of Arc:

 

Monday (September 9)

7:00 AM - Mass


Tuesday (September 10):

7:00 AM - Mass

8:30 AM - School Mass


Wednesday (September 11):

7:00 AM - Mass

6:00 PM - Mass


Thursday (September 12):

7:00 AM- Mass

7:00 PM - Holy Hour



Friday (September 13):

7:00 AM - Mass

10:00 AM - Funeral for Mary Lou Zubal (Read Obituary HERE)


Saturday (September 14):

12:30 PM - Baptism of Calvin J. Adams

1:30 PM - Baptism of Logan T. Bellish

4:00 PM - Mass

6:00 PM - Mass


Sunday (September 15):

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.

30) SJA's Latest Parish Bulletin

Click on the image below

to download a copy of the bulletin

for September 8, 2024

31) 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.



Bulletin Mailing List Form - Requests to be ADDED or REMOVED

32) Detroit Catholic

Read the latest from the DETROIT CATHOLIC
Click on the image below.