Ordinary: We are now in Ordinary Time in the Liturgical year. This weekend is the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ordinary Time began on Jan. 9). I will miss the Christmas flowers (thank you again to our wonderful liturgical environment volunteers). “What happens in our churches every Sunday is the fruit of our week. What happens as the fruit of the week past is the beginning of the week to come. Sunday, like all sacraments, is simultaneously a point of arrival and departure for Christians on their way to the fullness of the kingdom. This is not ordinary at all. This is the fabric of Christian living.” (Taken from the Saint Andrew Bible Missal) What are you looking for? Jesus asks that question to two of St. John the Baptist’s disciples in today’s Gospel. Of course, he asks us that same question. What are we looking for in life? We may come up with different answers, but in the end, we all want the same thing: happiness. What we believe will make us happy determines how we think, feel and especially, how we act. Ultimately what Jesus is getting at by asking that question is that we all have infinite desires and we can only be satisfied by Someone beyond me—God Himself.
Good Food: This Sunday the Knights of Columbus is having its famous breakfast in our parish hall. Hope to see you there!
Chaplain: Speaking of the Knights, I am now their chaplain, replacing Fr. Gary. I am honored by this appointment. I am so grateful to our Knights organization and all they do for others.
Bread from Heaven: This evening I am giving a talk on the Eucharist to the Candidates and Catechumens in the RCIA class. I begin my talk discussing how the Eucharist is prefigured all the way back to the beginning of Genesis and go from there. I am grateful for the courage of those who will enter the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil. Martin Luther King Jr.: Tomorrow (January 15) our nation will celebrate Martin Luther King Day. We pray for peace among all people and for the end of any racial discrimination. Many of our classrooms have had class projects on Martin Luther King Jr., including the 8th graders who will visit the MLK monument in Washington DC later this year. The school is also gearing up for Black History Month in February.
Christian Unity: The week of Christian unity begins on January 18. Please pray for this endeavor, as Jesus desires us “to be one.”
Meeting: This Thursday I head to Lansing for another Presbyteral Council meeting. We’ll discuss all the happenings in our diocese.
Trivia Night: Come play some trivia on Friday, January 19, at Trivia Night at 6:30 p.m. This is known to be a fun evening with food and lots of fun competition with trivia questions.
First: Our second graders are very excited about their First Holy Communion in May. We are currently in the midst of First Reconciliations with them, including one this Saturday.
Wish List: Many of you have asked about our Christmas Wish List. I am very thankful that so many of you have made donations. We received enough money for new vestments, choir robes, the school drama production, and Colonial Clothing for the Stanley School Trip. We also received some money for the school robotics program and a little for the school promethean boards. We still could use money for new tables and chairs for the St. Joseph Hall (around $12,000), a new television for the youth group ($1,000), two promethean boards for the school ($9,500), the school robotics programs ($1,000) and books for our library ($5,000). Some parishioners are also donating to the building fund. Thank you for your abundant kindness and generosity.
False advertising: So, in September I won a month pass to the Genesys Athletic Club at our Athletic Boosters Golf Outing. I finally decided to use the pass this month. The other day I wore a t-shirt from the Crim Race that said “10K” on it. A parishioner came up to me and said with a smirk, “It looked like you from a distance, but then I saw your shirt and said to myself it couldn’t possibly be you because I’ve never seen him at the Crim—unless he borrowed Fr. Gary’s shirt.” I got a chuckle out of that. They got me. I’ve signed up for two Crim races, received the tshirts, but never ran in either race. I probably shouldn’t wear those t-shirts. But I do hope to run in the Crim this year…I really do!
Have a blessed week. With love and prayers,
Msgr. Jerry
Saint quote of the week:
“To show great love for God and our neighbor we need not do great things. It is how much we put in the doing, that makes our offering something beautiful for God.” – Saint Mother Teresa