Unleash the Gospel Magazine: August/September 2019

OUR RESPONSE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019 A MAGAZINE OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF DETROIT

Old St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church | Downtown Detroit-Greektown

646 Monroe, Detroit 48226 313-961-8711 oldstmarysdetroit.com rectory@oldstmarysdetroit.com

Daily Mass (Mon thru Sat) 12:15 pm Saturday vigil Mass 5:30 pm Sunday Masses 8:30 am, 10:00 am Latin, 12:00 noon First Friday Tridentine Mass 7:00 pm Confessions 30 minutes prior to all Masses For more information, please visit

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019 VOLUME 1: ISSUE 3 P U B L I S HER

The Most Rev. Allen H. Vigneron, Archbishop of Detroit EX E C U TI VE E DITO RS

Father Stephen Pullis Edmundo Reyes ED I TO R I N C HIE F

Christine Warner ED I TO R

Jennifer Scroggins

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

A RT D I R E C TO R

Paul Duda A D V E RTI SING MANAG E R

Michelle St. Pierre

5 A MESSAGE FROM THE ARCHBISHOP

I L LU S T R ATO RS

Diego Diaz Mike Marshall Casey Olson Bridget Stec

FE ATU R E S

P HOTO GR A P HE RS

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Paul Duda Melissa Moon Naomi Vrazo Valaurian Waller

LIVING WITNESS Sharing the love

14 REAL TALK Choosing to follow Christ

P R AY E R 36 CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD St. Teresa of Calcutta 38 PRAYER 101 You will be my witnesses 40 PRAYING WITH THE CHURCH FATHERS The Epistle to Diognetus

CO N T R I B UT ING W RIT E RS

Father Charles Fox Dr. Daniel Keating Courtney Kiolbassa Father Joseph Kirkconnell Cande de Leon Rosemary de Leon Casey McCorry Father Brian Meldrum Daniel Meloy Dr. Kenneth Warner

18 GOSPEL STUDY The power of brokenness 20 INSIDE SCRIPTURE

Call and response

C U LTU R E 24 POETRY God Speaks to Each of Us

Patrick O’Brien P R ES I D E NT AND C E O

Elizabeth Martin Soslburg V I C E P R ESIDE NT AND E DITO RIAL D IRECTOR

Rachel Matero GR A P HI C DE SIG NE R

Innerworkings PRINTING EM A I L U S : utgmagazine@aod.org V I S I T U S O NL INE : unleashthegospel.org F O L LO W U S O N FAC E BO O K, INSTAGRAM AND T W IT T E R: @utgdetroit Unleash the Gospel Copyright © 2019 by the Archdiocese of Detroit is a membership publication published bimonthly (Jan, Mar, May, Jul, Sep, Nov) by the Archdiocese of Detroit, 12 State St., Detroit, MI 48226-1823. Business and Editorial Offices: 12 State St., Detroit, MI 48226-1823, Accounting and Circulation Offices: Archdiocese of Detroit, 12 State St., Detroit, MI 48226-1823. Periodicals postage is pending at Detroit, Michigan, and additional mailing offices.

D I S CI P LE S 44 FAMILY CHALLENGE The monastery of the home 48

GOING DEEPER Forgiven and free

52 PURSUING HOLINESS Q&A Cande and Rosemary de Leon

Saturated Summer 26 SACRED PL ACES The legacy of Midwestern grottoes 32 OUR HISTORY A river runs by it

D E TR OI T 56 UNLEASHED QUESTIONNAIRE Dr. Kenneth Warner 58 #ASKUTG How do you approach the Scriptures?

60 PHOTO ESSAY St. John Vianney Parish, Shelby Township

DEAR JOYFUL MISSIONARY DISCIPLE! IN

THE L AS T I S S U E OF OU R M AGAZ I NE , W E L E A R N E D A BO UT T H E KERYGMA , T H E P ROC L AM ATI ON OF THE GOOD NE W S O F T H E G O SP E L. W E R E A D A BO UT G O D’ S ANS WE R TO OU R P RE D I CAM E NT I N T H E SE N DIN G O F H IS SO N F O R O UR SA LVAT IO N . “ HE SAVE D U S AND CAL L E D U S TO A H O LY LIFE , N OT ACCO R DIN G TO O UR W O R K S B U T ACCORD I NG TO HI S O WN D E S I GN A N D T H E G R AC E B E STO W E D O N US IN C HRI S T J E S U S B E F ORE TI M E B E GAN.” (2 T M 1 :9 )

How are we to respond to this most precious gift, to what God has done for us in Christ? This, too, is an essential component of our proclamation of the Good News and our mission to unleash the Gospel. We read in sacred Scripture that we are called to respond by repenting of our sins, believing in Jesus and being baptized, so we can be filled with his Holy Spirit and live a new life in his family, the Church.

“ THE LIFE OF A DI SCIPLE IS ALWAYS A RESPONSE TO GOD’S INITIATIVE. GOD TAKES THE FIRST STEP. GRACE ALWAYS COMES FIRST.”

MAREK DZIEKONSKI, PHOTOGRAPHER

To believe means to accept the free gift of salvation that God gives us in his Son, which far surpasses anything we could deserve or accomplish. (cf. Eph 2:3-10) The life of a disciple is always a response to God’s initiative. God takes the first step. Grace always comes first.

The life of the church should always reveal clearly that God takes the initiative, that “we love because he first loved us.” (1 Jn 4:19) As you read this magazine, I invite you to reflect upon your response to the Good News. In prayer, I invite you to allow the gift of the cross — the suffering and death of Christ for the forgiveness of our sins and his triumph over death and the power of darkness in the resurrection — to move your heart to a greater conversion, move you to worship

THE MOST REV. ALLEN H. VIGNERON Archbishop of Detroit DetroitArchbishop @DetArchbishop @DetroitArchbishop

God, move you to thank him and move you to surrender your life to Christ.

To become effective missionaries sharing God’s love and mercy with those we meet, we must first become joyful disciples. We must first be men and women who have found joy in responding to the Lord’s invitation and demands. We must become men and women who, in gratitude for what he has done, have picked up their crosses and decided to follow him.

Let us look to Mary and the countless saints for inspiration.

In them we see joyous, courageous and committed missionary disciples who have responded to the Good News of Christ. May God grant us the same grace to follow their example.

Please know I am praying for all of you. I humbly ask for your prayers as well.

UN LE A SH T H E G O SP E L . O R G |

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LI VING WITNE SS

SHARING theLOVE IT ALL HAPPENED ON A DANCE FLOOR IN A BAR IN DOWNTOWN DETROIT.

THE MUSIC WAS LOUD, THE LIGHTS WERE BRIGHT AND PEOPLE WERE LOST IN THEIR DANCING WHEN JORDAN BEACHNAU HAPPENED TO NOTICE THE WORDS ON A WOMAN’S SWEATSHIRT. IT WAS A SHORT BUT POIGNANT MESSAGE: “JESUS CAN’T SAVE YOU.”

DANIEL MELOY, WRITER NAOMI VRAZO, PHOTOGRAPHER

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THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO DON’T KNOW THE LOVE OF JESUS AND THE TRUTH AND GOODNESS OF THE CATHOLIC FAITH, SO YOU HAVE TO MEET THAT PERSON WITH LOVE. I DON’T KNOW OF ANYONE WHO EVER CONVERTED BECAUSE OF AN ARGUMENT.”

Jordan kept dancing, working his way closer to the woman. When he got to where she was dancing with her friends, he smiled and handed her a necklace with a Miraculous Medal of Mary.

“I apologized, saying, ‘If any Christian has hurt you, I’m sorry,’” Jordan recalls. “That is not what Jesus would have done. He said he’d rather die than live without you.”

A simple gift, a simple greeting, a powerful message. It’s the kind of encounter that seems to happen a lot for Jordan, a parishioner at St. Mary in Royal Oak. An accountant for Deloitte in downtown Detroit, the former Grand Valley State University wide receiver and quarterback has a sports-like mentality when it comes to evangelization: You only get good at what you practice.

“There are people who don’t know the love of Jesus and the truth and goodness of the Catholic faith, so you have to meet that person with love,” says Jordan, 27.

“I don’t know of anyone who ever converted because of an argument.”

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‘CROSSING THE JORDAN’ Raised in the Lansing suburb of Holt, Jordan was baptized Catholic, but his family rarely practiced. He lived a “typical secular lifestyle” at Grand Valley, where he majored in accounting and attended a nondenominational church. He moved to Royal Oak in 2015 after getting his job with Deloitte. Everything was going pretty much according to plan.

Then, Jordan received a surprising text message from his sister, Nicole.

“The text said, ‘I’m going to the RCIA program at St. Mary’s. It’s a Catholic church,’” Jordan remembers. “She asked me to join. I said, ‘No, I’m good.’ But I decided, ‘I will go until I hear something that’s wrong, then I’ll leave.’ I was there to support my sister. After months of questions, podcasts and bugging the crap out of Father Paul (Snyder, pastor at St. Mary), I came to know this was the church Jesus founded.”

Jordan entered the church at Easter of 2017, but his journey was really

just beginning. He started listening to Catholic podcasts and reading apologetics, enthralled by people’s individual testimonies. Personal witness became such a powerful part of Jordan’s journey that he wanted to share his own with everyone else — friends, family, co-workers, strangers at Trader Joe’s.

“It does take courage the first time praying with somebody,” Jordan says. “I thought at first, ‘I’m going to pray with people I’ll never see again.’ The next thing you know, I’m praying with family and friends, praying with people I see at Trader Joe’s. It’s all natural now.”

Jordan even started a podcast, “Crossing the Jordan,” to talk about his experience praying with people and explaining the faith.

“I was in a Walmart with a guy in the checkout,” Jordan says. “He was talking about how the church isn’t a building. I said, ‘You know, I used to be really anti-Catholic, too, but not after reading all these things.

I’m now Catholic.’ I gave him a card with my podcast and said I’d be praying for him.”

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EMPOWERED BY THE SACRAMENTS Jordan doesn’t plan these meetings with strangers; they happen organically. Since coming into the Church, he feels comfortable talking about Jesus with people he meets. He joined Young Catholic Professionals (YCP) in Detroit and the Brighton-based Encounter Ministries to have more opportunities to share his faith.

“In YCP, you become part of a community, and it is encouraging to see other people’s faith,” Jordan says.

Jordan became director of finance for YCP Detroit. After an initial organizational meeting in June 2017, the group went out for drinks. That’s when newly appointed YCP assistant and fellow St. Mary parishioner Bridget Molnar first noticed Jordan’s charismatic personality.

“He was just open, personally, always asking, ‘How are you doing?’

‘Are you good?’ ‘Is your soul good?’”

Molnar says. “There is a genuine care about him. Every time I see him at a YCP event, it is ‘Hey, how are you? How is your day? Can I ask to pray with you that Jesus could heal you?’”

“I remember last year, we had this opportunity to go to a fundraising

JESUS WANTS TO GIVE US A DIVINE LIGHT, THE HOLY SPIRIT LIFE, AND TO DO THAT IS TO WILL THE GOOD OF THE OTHER. … IF I WANT WHAT’S BEST FOR THIS PERSON, I WANT THEM TO HAVE JESUS, AND IT’S ALL ROOTED IN LOVE.”

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WHAT IS SO BEAUTIFUL ABOUT BEING CATHOLIC IS YOUR LIFE IS COMPLETELY STRENGTHENED BY GOD’S GRACE AND THE gala to support Sacred Heart Major Seminary,” Molnar recalls. “We were sitting there, and there was this security guard at Cobo Center.

Jordan just walked up to her, asking how she was, handing out a Miraculous Medal. Then this woman just opened up about her son. That’s the effect Jordan has on people.”

When talking about God with people on the streets or in the office, Jordan doesn’t dive into deep theological details. Sometimes it’s just sharing that he went to daily Mass or describing an experience he had at eucharistic adoration.

“What is so beautiful about being Catholic is your life is completely strengthened by God’s grace and the sacraments,” Jordan says.

“We feed on the bread of life in the Eucharist. When we fall from grace, we have the sacrament of reconciliation. But these are not one-anddone things. We are supposed to move from there, empowered to live out the Gospel.”

For many Catholics, that daily choice to tell strangers about Jesus can be intimidating; Jordan is the first to tell you he talks more than most. But Jordan advises that there are other ways to witness.

“What is beautiful about being Catholic is we have a communion of saints that look completely different,” Jordan says. “A person who is a doctor of the Church, St. Therese of Lisieux, hardly ever spoke. Then we have St. Dominic, who went to the ends of the world preaching Christ.”

For Jordan, having that honest conversation about Christ in the streets is his charism.

SACRAMENTS. … BUT THESE ARE NOT ONEAND-DONE THINGS. WE ARE SUPPOSED TO MOVE FROM THERE, EMPOWERED TO LIVE OUT THE GOSPEL.

ROOTED IN LOVE Shortly after joining the Church, Jordan discerned the priesthood, even attending a discernment weekend at Sacred Heart Major Seminary.

But then, during a pilgrimage with some friends to Lourdes, France last year, Jordan felt called to marriage.

The group then traveled to Spain to continue their pilgrimage walking the Camino de Santiago, one of the oldest Christian pilgrimage routes that ends at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. Jordan’s college friend Napoli Oraha also made the trek and the two began dating after the journey. Now, they’re engaged and planning a future together. For guidance, Jordan maintains a close relationship with priests, especially his pastor.

“The Church is the beautiful family in communion, and with the priests I have in my life, I feel I have a great relationship with them where they are friends first,” Jordan says.

“They are supporting me, and we’re walking together. Father Paul Snyder is a friend of mine, and we constantly support each other in an authentic relationship. Me and my future wife go to dinner with him. We want to

have a family where it is natural to have priests over for dinner.”

From a college quarterback to a Camino pilgrim who invites priest friends over for dinner — it would be quite a transition for most people! But Jordan doesn’t think there’s anything special or out of the ordinary about his witness to Christ.

“Jesus wants to give us a divine light, the Holy Spirit life, and to do that is to will the good of the other,” Jordan says. “So, what is good for the person in front of me, whether they are a stranger I just met or a friend I’ve known for years? If I want what’s best for this person, I want them to have Jesus, and it’s all rooted in love.

“It’s how you communicate with people,” Jordan adds. “It means being rooted in our faith, first and foremost, and making that decision to love this person. It means being gentle, humble and having that relationship with Jesus, building that relationship with the person across from you. And from there, the Holy Spirit does its work, where you just want to share that love with everyone else.”

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RE A L TA LK When we love each other freely, totally, faithfully and fruitfully as husband and wife, our love is a powerful witness; it attracts others. Our greatest desire is to help other married couples love in this way. Through the Marriage Coaching Ministry, we accompany couples who are struggling. Just as Jesus did not immediately instruct the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, we listen to them and allow them to share their hopes and disappointments. We meet them where they are in their faith and help them go further.

By sharing how Christ has worked in and through us, we help couples see that a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is the key to a joy-filled marriage.

When we put Christ at the center of our marriage, we look for ways to serve each other and to help each other get to heaven. This is what we are made for, to image the love of Christ to a world desperately searching for lasting happiness.

- DENNIS AND ROSE WINGFIELD, OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL

CHOOSING TO The most important way I choose to follow God is trying to live a life of discernment.

If I’m not dedicating myself to prayer and building a strong relationship with God, it’s hard to find where he wants me in the first place. Spending personal time with him in eucharistic adoration and listening has had a profound effect on my life.

I also have a special devotion to St. Therese of Lisieux, and I’ve really taken her “Little Way” to heart. I am an engineer by profession, and I don’t have an opportunity to minister actively in much of my day-to-day life. St. Therese taught me how it’s possible to follow the Lord even in the mundane and make everything an act of love.

- CHRIS CIURLA, ST. MARY, ROYAL OAK

PHOTO BY NAOMI VRAZO

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I strive to follow God’s will in my life every day. Prayer and the sacraments hold me close to the Lord. It can be difficult to hear the quiet promptings of God’s call in our noisy world. God has blessed me with a zeal for souls and I have asked him to put people in my path who need to know him. God does not disappoint! I have had countless encounters with people where I was able to pray with them, answer questions or share the saving message of the Gospel. What a gift it is to help someone recognize that God is alive and active in their life.

- BETH SCHEULE, ST. HUGO OF THE HILLS, BLOOMFIELD HILLS

PHOTO BY VAL WALLER

We try to take every decision we need to make as a family to prayer, trusting in God’s providence. We pray as a couple and as individuals and discuss what we hear God saying. For us, some of the biggest and best examples of choosing to follow God have come in the people around us. When I felt like God was asking us to move my grandmother in with us years ago, Mark jumped right on board, trusting my discernment and trusting in the goodness of God’s plan. When we both felt like we were ready for another child, we said yes to being open to life, even though it meant a pregnancy during Mark’s third year of medical school.

And God has provided for us in an abundance of graces every single time we’ve said yes.

- MARK AND COLLEEN PRESSPRICH, ST. PAUL ON THE LAKE, GROSSE POINTE FARMS

PHOTO BY MELISSA MOON

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In my life, I choose to follow God daily by surrounding myself with reminders of how much of a gift it is to be alive. My vocations as a husband and father provide me with numerous opportunities daily to be a witness of God’s love. My children remind me constantly of how much joy there is in life and that there is beauty in simplicity. My spouse provides me with an opportunity to sacrifice daily and strive toward her well-being. It’s interesting to think about how God had this awesome life in mind for me all along and I get to discover day by day his divine plan and explore the many levels of it. My prayer life isn’t perfectly structured, but I find ways throughout the day to show God appreciation for the grace he has provided to me freely, and I try my hardest to show that I am deserving of that love.

- AARON WILKERSON, ST. MICHAEL PARISH, LIVONIA

PHOTO BY VAL WALLER

PHOTO BY MELISSA MOON

In my life, following God requires a daily commitment.

This commitment is above all others!

Starting the day with prayer lays the foundation. Prayer is a combination of praising and worshipping the Lord, telling him everything that’s on my heart, asking for his help and listening for whatever he wants to say to me or do in me. Reading and studying the Scriptures is essential to letting the Lord speak to me. I invite the Lord to use me however he wants that day.

I especially ask him to allow me to use my gifts for his glory.

After spending time in prayer, being covered in his love and loving him back, it’s time to take the love out. Everyone has to fit under that blanket of love; I’ve got to show it to those I love joyfully and to those who are difficult to love. I always ask the Lord to help me know myself better, because the better I know myself, the better I can follow my Lord Jesus.

The best way to follow God is to be convicted, every day, that whatever he wants for you is the best thing that could ever happen to you.

- JANET DIAZ, CHURCH OF THE HOLY FAMILY, NOVI

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GOSPE L STUDY

IT IS SAID THAT WHEN MOTHER TERESA, NOW ST. TERESA OF CALCUTTA, WOULD VISIT A HOUSE AND THE POOR WERE GATHERED TOGETHER, SHE HAD THE ABILITY TO RECOGNIZE WHO

POWER BROKENNESS

When we rely on God’s mercy for our strength, we can’t help but live as grateful witnesses of the Good News 18

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WAS MOST IN NEED, WHETHER INWARDLY OR OUTWARDLY, AND SHE WOULD GO RIGHT TO THAT PERSON TO SHARE THE LOVE AND MERCY OF GOD. MOTHER TERESA’S SISTERS WOULD REGULARLY ASK, “HOW DID SHE KNOW?!”

Often, the person most in need was not the first person one would have expected by looking at them from the outside. In one instance, a journalist who was going through a very difficult time in her life was standing at the back of the room while Mother Teresa was giving a short speech. The journalist was dealing with a family tragedy and struggling with belief in God, but outwardly, she looked the same as ever, going about her work. Immediately upon ending her talk, Mother Teresa went through the crowd directly to the journalist and began to comfort her. The woman was blown away.

A person’s life might seem perfect externally (or on Instagram and Facebook), but often the interior reality is much different. The truth is that all of us have our own wounds; we’re all broken. We’re all in need of God’s mercy and forgiveness, though sometimes we try to hide our weakness or bury it within us.

We want to appear — and to be — strong. But growth in the spiritual life is not actually about growing stronger and stronger — at least, not growing stronger in our own power.

LEARNING TO RELY ON THE LORD The spiritual life involves a movement toward weakness, because when we recognize our own weakness and brokenness, we come to realize our need for Jesus. Jesus said, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.”

(Mt 9:12) and “I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” (Mt 9:13) As we become more aware of our own weakness, we ought to rely more and more upon Jesus. In a homily during my years in seminary, Msgr. Dan Trapp once told us, “We should be leaning on Jesus so much that if he were not there, we would fall.” Along the same lines, at the end of her life, St. Therese of Lisieux thanked God that she was still in need of a savior. We will never reach

ONE STEP AT A TIME, WE ARE ENABLED TO OFFER MORE AND MORE OF OUR LIFE TO HIM. a point in our life when we do not need Jesus. Growth in the spiritual life, therefore, does involve growing in strength, but it is in the strength that comes from the Lord. (Phil 4:13) When we are weak, then we are strong in him. (2 Cor 12:10) Acknowledging our sins and weakness before the Lord opens our hearts to receive his mercy and love.

At each Mass, we begin by acknowledging our sins before the Lord. For example, one option for the penitential rite includes praying, “I confess to you Almighty God, and to you my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned,” and then imploring his mercy. This admission is not about self-pity — no “Woe is me” or “I’m such an awful person” — but an honest and humble assessment that we need Jesus. It prepares us to listen to and to hear his voice in the Liturgy of the Word and to receive his love in the Most Blessed Sacrament. In Sacra Tridentina, a decree on frequent reception of holy Communion, St. Pius X wrote that the Eucharist is not a reward for virtue but a remedy for sin.

The Eucharist brings healing as well as communion with Jesus and with the entire body of Christ (i.e., the Church).

Receiving God’s mercy and forgiveness leads to gratitude for this unmerited gift. Gratitude for God’s mercy, and for all the blessings of our life, leads to praise and worship for his goodness and generosity. As God gives himself totally, freely and

FATHER JOSEPH KIRKCONNELL, WRITER • CASEY OLSEN, ILLUSTRATOR

faithfully to us, we are called to respond to that love by giving ourselves unreservedly and freely in return.

OUR LIVES AS LOVING SACRIFICE In Eucharistic Prayer III from the Roman Missal we pray, “May [Jesus] make of us an eternal offering to [God the Father].” Thus, our whole life is to become a sacrificial offering to the Father. Our whole life becomes liturgical as we offer every part of our life to him: our joys, our sorrows and everything in between.

We hold nothing back from the Father and we make that offering in union with Jesus, his son, and in the power of the Holy Spirit.

As we grow closer to Jesus, one step at a time, we are enabled to offer more and more of our life to him. In giving Jesus our whole life, we do not lose out. Instead, we gain everything. We receive the very thing our hearts are made for: infinite, unconditional love. As Jesus says, “Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Mt 16:25) Finally, if we live in communion with the Father, through his Son, and in the Holy Spirit, how can we not share this Good News with others? How can we keep the Gospel to ourselves? How can our testimony remain hidden?

Our need for Jesus leads to repentance, our repentance leads to worship, and worship leads to witness — witness with a heart full of gratitude, love, peace and the presence of God.

UN LE A SH T H E G O SP E L . O R G |

FATHER JOSEPH KIRKCONNELL was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Detroit in 2014 and served as associate pastor at St. Paul on the Lake Parish in Grosse Pointe Farms.

He is currently studying catechetics at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

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IN S ID E SCRIPTUR E

CALL RESPONSE The Good News of the Gospel is more than just a proclamation — it’s an exhortation that requires us to act

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FATHER STEPHEN PULLIS, WRITER • CASEY OLSEN, ILLUSTRATOR

HEARING THE GOOD NEWS OF THE GOSPEL IS ONLY ONE PART OF THE MESSAGE. BECAUSE THE GOSPEL IS AN INVITATION, WE CANNOT BE ONLY HEARERS OF THE WORD — IT REQUIRES A RESPONSE. WHAT THEN IS THE PROPER RESPONSE FOR US TO HAVE TO THIS MESSAGE OF GOD’S RADICAL LOVE FOR US IN THE ABASEMENT OF JESUS CHRIST?

Realizing the depth of God’s love for us means we can have only one response: We must entrust our lives completely into God’s hands. God has proven — beyond a shadow of a doubt — his trustworthiness in Jesus on the cross. St. Paul tells the Philippians that Jesus, in his love for us, “emptied himself ” and gave up his life … for each of us.

In emptying himself and robbing death of its sting, Jesus becomes lord. He becomes the name at which every knee must bow. He has plundered the kingdom of death and now has possession of the entire storehouse of graces at his disposal. We can say with all confidence that Jesus has all we need. Each of us can assert: He has freed me from this kingdom of death. He has freed me from this slavery.

The only logical response in the face of this overwhelmingly beautiful news is complete surrender.

We must proclaim Jesus as the lord of our lives. This means he has ultimate, supreme and total control over every part of our lives. Since he has ransomed us from death, we owe our whole lives to him. And since it was specifically “while we were still sinners” that Christ died for us, we can have no doubt in Jesus’ love for us.

Therefore, we must make an act of total trust and total surrender to Jesus.

SURRENDER WITH CONFIDENCE This act of surrender is what we call faith. It requires placing each part of our lives into Jesus’ hands. Each of us should ask ourselves: What vocation am I called to? What should I do with my free time? What should I do with my money? How am I to understand my sexuality? What Netflix shows should I watch? What is the measure of my success? All of these questions must be placed before Jesus as lord, and we must receive from him the way forward.

Early Christians did this in such a powerful way that it caused comment — sometimes admiration, sometimes ridicule — from their neighbors, families and friends. In the Letter to the Hebrews, the author speaks about the sacrifices these Christian disciples were willing to make to be faithful to Jesus: “Remember the days past when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a great contest of suffering. At times you were publicly exposed to abuse and affliction; at other times you associated yourselves with those so treated. You even joined in the sufferings of those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, knowing that you had a better and lasting possession.” (Heb 10:3234) After they had come to faith (“been enlightened”), they were willing to suffer persecution, go to jail and have their property unjustly taken from them rather than refuse to call Jesus their lord.

The persecution of Christians around the world in our age is no less severe than in the time of the apostles. Many of our brothers and sisters in the Middle East, North Africa, Sri Lanka and other places around the world risk their careers, possessions and even their lives by professing Jesus as lord. Fortunately, the odds of our suffering to this degree for our faith are rather remote. Yet, it is no small task for us to be men and women of faith.

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Surrendering our lives to the God who loved us so much that he died for us means we desire what God desires for us. It means we actively seek out God’s will for our lives — and then we embrace it as the best plan for our lives! It means we trust God’s plan for our lives more than our own plans. God is not our co-pilot; rather, he must be the pilot of our lives.

Entrusting our lives into God’s hands leaves us none the poorer. Even when we must make sacrifices of other goods in our lives — when we must “take up our crosses” to follow Jesus — we know by faith that God will not leave us wanting. We have confidence because “he who did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, how will he not also give us everything else along with him?” (Rm 8:32) There is nothing God will not give us if we trust him.

THE GIFT OF FAITH

SURRENDERING OUR LIVES TO THE GOD WHO LOVED US SO MUCH THAT HE DIED FOR US MEANS WE DESIRE WHAT GOD DESIRES FOR US. IT MEANS WE ACTIVELY SEEK OUT GOD’S WILL FOR OUR LIVES — AND THEN WE EMBRACE IT AS THE BEST PLAN FOR OUR LIVES! IT MEANS WE

Faith is rooted in the sacrament of baptism, by which we are incorporated into the body of Christ and given the grace to live the Christian life. Baptism makes this life of faith possible. It is in baptism that we participate in the paschal mystery of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Baptism is the perfect image — and the effective means of — faith.

Most Catholics are baptized in infancy. For us, that means the gift of faith has been given to us through the profession of our parents. Each of us is called to “stir into flame the gift of God” that we’ve received. We must actively invite Jesus (as lord!) into every part of our lives.

God’s plan for the world was one of harmony and perfection. The consequences of sin brought about upheaval to this harmony and ultimately led to our enslavement. The Father sent Jesus to show us the face of God. He hunted down sin and death and robbed “the strong man’s house” to set us free. (cf. Mk 3:22-30) Jesus invests his entire life into our salvation; he dies so you and I can have freedom and eternal life. The only proper response to such an incredible, immeasurable and unrepayable gift is our total surrender to God. The only proper response is faith in God’s goodness and obedience to his commands.

TRUST GOD’S PLAN FOR OUR LIVES MORE THAN OUR OWN PLANS. GOD IS NOT OUR COPILOT; RATHER, HE MUST BE THE PILOT OF OUR LIVES.

FATHER STEPHEN PULLIS, STL, is the director of evangelization, catechesis and schools for the Archdiocese of Detroit and serves as a weekend associate at St. John Vianney Parish in Shelby Township and as an adjunct spiritual director at Sacred Heart Major Seminary.

He also co-hosts Open Door Policy, a podcast series featuring conversations with missionary disciples throughout Southeast Michigan. Tune in at opendoorpolicy.aod.org.

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POETRY

GOD SPEAKS TO EACH OF US

BY RAI N E R MARI A RI L K E TRAN SL ATE D BY ANITA B ARR O W S AND J OAN N A M AC

God speaks to each of us as he makes us, then walks with us silently out of the night.

These are the words we dimly hear: You, sent out beyond your recall, go to the limits of your longing.

Embody me.

Flare up like a flame and make big shadows I can move in.

Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror.

Just keep going. No feeling is final.

Don’t let yourself lose me.

RAINER MARIA RILKE (1875-1926) was a German-language poet and novelist born in Prague. Known for his intense and mystical poetry, his first collection Leben und Lieder (Life and Songs) was published in 1894. Much of his poetry had a divine bent, and Pope St. John Paul II greatly enjoyed Rilke’s work.

This poem is translated from his volume of love poems to God, Das Stunden-Buch (The Book of Hours).

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Nearby is the country they call life.

You will know it by its seriousness.

Give me your hand.

BRIDGET STEC, ILLUSTRATOR

r e m sum

BY CO U RT N E Y K I O LB A S SA

Every morning that summer, I stumbled from sleep, dragged my tired bones off the bed springs to dig my calloused knees

God, where are You? The search hurts. Do You even exist? I know, sometimes, even a believer needs to be convinced.

into chapel wood. Between waves of utter exhaustion I sputtered out prayers of frustration, begging the Creator, the calmer of storms, to halt

And in the questions, warmth.

And in the pauses between the rain, light.

And in reaching out from the current,

the thunder. If I woke up believing He existed at all, I told God I was mad at Him but at breakfast everyone spoke of His goodness.

I am breaking the surface.

I am coming up for air.

Finally, finally, my lungs can fill again.

They sounded as hollow as wind. These friends saying words I’d tumbled in my mouth so many times, the color had been washed out.

They said His power is made perfect in your weakness so I waded through the quietest sacrifice, made an offering of my faltering flesh. I hushed every fear.

They said God has a plan for you so often the path ahead flooded, my muddied plans getting smeared across clean church walls.

It was too simple to drown in the watered-down devotions of my past, to buoy my faith on song and praise, to pretend I was a saint.

More healing, I found, to let the struggle see the sun. I had to hang the tired and the unbelief out to dry. So I spoke what I hadn’t said before:

BRIDGET STEC, ILLUSTRATOR

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SACRE D PL ACES Grotto of the Redemption (CNS Photo/Courtesy Catholic Globe)

THE LEGACY OF

MIDWESTERN GROTTOES GERMAN CATHOLIC IMMIGRANTS REFLECTED THEIR RELIGIOUS AND PATRIOTIC BELIEFS IN ELABORATE STONE WORKS THAT PILGRIMS CAN STILL VISIT TODAY.

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PEYTON SMITH is assistant vice chancellor emeritus at the University of WisconsinMadison. He has had a lifelong interest in grottoes and artistic landscape environments made of concrete.

THE MIDWEST IS BLESSED WITH THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF GROTTOS IN THE WORLD, ARCHITECTURAL GEMS LEFT PRIMARILY BY GERMAN CATHOLIC IMMIGRANTS WHO WORKED WITHOUT BLUEPRINTS OR WRITTEN PLANS. THEIR FORM OF FOLK ART — OR “OUTSIDER” ART — REFLECTED THE TIMES IN WHICH THEY LIVED, WHEN ILLNESSES WIPED OUT HUGE SEGMENTS OF THE POPULATION. AND BECAUSE CONCRETE WAS CHEAP AND EASILY ACCESSIBLE, IT BECAME THE GO-TO MEDIUM USED BY THESE NEW AMERICANS TO EXPRESS THEIR FAITH IN GOD AND THEIR LOVE OF THEIR ADOPTED COUNTRY. PEYTON SMITH, WRITER

These zealous artists created everything from elaborate headstones to crucifixes and small roadside chapels and shrines, and we’re lucky enough to be able to enjoy many of them still today with just a few hours of driving.

G ROTTO OF THE RED EMP TI ON The birthplace of the grotto movement is the Sts. Peter and Paul Church in West Bend, Iowa, home to the Grotto of the Redemption. This “mother of all grottoes” takes up an entire city block and contains nine contiguous grottoes that illustrate the story of the redemption of humankind, from the fall of man to the resurrection of Christ. It is said to be the largest collection of semiprecious stones, minerals and petrified materials in the world.

The grotto was meant as a way for German-born Father Paul Dobberstein to give thanks. Dobberstein, who came to the United States in 1893 to study for the priesthood at St. Francis Seminary near Milwaukee, suffered a severe case of pneumonia. Should he get well, he promised to build a shrine to honor the Blessed Virgin. Dobberstein began to stockpile massive amounts of fieldstone, rocks and boulders in 1901, and he continued work on the grotto until his death in 1954.

Dobberstein attributed the grotto tradition to the Middle Ages, when shepherds attending their flocks sought refuge from storms in natural grottoes, or caves.

There, they adorned the interiors with holy pictures and crucifixes, placing them over small altars to give the appearance of a church sanctuary.

D I CK EYV I LLE G ROTTO Imagine a structure 25 feet tall, 30 feet wide and 25 feet deep, embedded with thousands of sparkling ceramics, pieces of glass, shells, marbles, minerals, rocks, petrified wood — even doorknobs. The Dickeyville Grotto on the grounds of the Holy Ghost Church in southwestern Wisconsin offers this awe-inspiring sight.

The Dickeyville Grotto is an array of shrines and gardens, and it features materials gathered from as far away as the Holy Land. Dickeyville is also said to

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W HAT I S O U T S I DER A RT ?

It’s been called art brut, visionary art or more commonly “outsider art.” By whatever name, it’s always colorful and often monumental in size, and it typically incorporates quirky materials: dinner plate shards, glass marbles, tossed-away lumber, tufa rock, bits of rope and other offbeat elements.

Outsider art can sometimes be a little weird-looking, too — or at least weirdly beautiful.

This folk-art form is the work of the self-taught “outsider artist.” Full of creative energy but not part of the professional art establishment, the outsider artist can seem a bit eccentric as he or she follows an inner vision that compels them to create. Outsider art often expresses deeply held religious beliefs, as with the Catholic grottoes of the Midwest, or the private worldview of the artist.

A local example of non-religious outsider art is the Heidelberg Project. In 1986, Tyree Guyton decided to “pick up a paintbrush instead of a weapon” as a way to push back against the decay of his eastside Detroit neighborhood. Vacant houses under his colorful brushstrokes became “art installations.” Found objects from vacant lots became “objects of art.” The Heidelberg Project attracts thousands of visitors yearly and has won numerous awards.

And in Hamtramck, retired autoworker Dmytro Szylak felt an interior urge to express his love for his Ukrainian homeland and his adopted country through material means.

So, Szylak began nailing up a wild conglomeration of colorful imagery onto his garage roof: a huge helicopter made of scrap wood with electric fans for propellers; wooden hearts painted bright red imprinted with the words “America” and “Glory to Ukraine”; carousel horses dancing in mid-air; lawn ornaments suspended here and there; and even a mini-Virgin Mary (all lit up with Christmas bulbs, by the way).

His back-alley installation, “Hamtramck Disneyland,” has helped to transform Hamtramck into an internationally known haven for outsider artists.

COMMENTARY BY DANIEL GALLIO 28

ARCHDIOCESE OF D E TROI T

The Dickeyville Grotto structure is covered with gems, glass, wood, shells, stones, tiles and other materials donated by local parishioners.(Photo courtesy Damien Entwistle)

contain a cross carved by the first Native American convert of French missionary Father Jacques Marquette.

In addition to celebrating religion, Dickeyville incorporates symbols of patriotism that reflect the pride immigrants felt about their new country. Father Mathias Wernerus, a German-born priest who served the parish from 1918 until his death in 1931, was the driving force behind the Dickeyville Grotto. Wernerus began his work by constructing a Soldiers’ Memorial in 1920 to honor three men from the parish who lost their lives in World War I. The grotto was completed in 1930.

RU D OLP H G ROTTO GA RD ENS The Rudolph Grotto Gardens at St. Phillip Parish in Rudolph, Wis., is another marvelous site worthy of a visit. It contains almost 40 structures, including grottoes and shrines to God and country. Unlike Redemption or Dickeyville, however, it is constructed primarily of native rock and is bedecked with mature trees and extensive floral gardens. A unique feature is the Wonder Cave, an enclosed pathway one-fifth of a mile long, with dozens of religious statues and plaques.

FOR THOSE WILLING TO TAKE THE TIME FOR A LITTLE ADVENTURE, THE MIDWEST OFFERS A TREASURE OF IMPRESSIVE RELIGIOUS, FOLK AND OUTSIDER ART, ALL LASTING LEGACIES OF OUR CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL HERITAGE.”

Father Philip Wagner, who was born in Iowa and went to Europe to study for the priesthood, primarily built the grotto. In 1912, he became ill and visited the Our Lady of Lourdes shrine in France, a wellknown healing spot that inspired him. Like Dobberstein, he promised to build a shrine to Mary should his health improve, and he fulfilled that vow. Though this grotto is not as flashy, its natural beauty is a strong counterpoint to the other two major sites. © Center for the Study of Upper Midwestern Cultures, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and with support from the Evjue Foundation. Adapted with permission.

WHY NOT MAKE A VISIT? Are you thinking about a long weekend in Chicago?

Consider adding an extra day or so. Then, keep heading west to visit one of the holy sites below.

You might even plan a mini-vacation dedicated to visiting them all. Most of the shrines are associated with a Catholic place of worship. Make your holidays “holy days” by attending Mass or planning your pilgrimage on the weekend of a local parish picnic.

D I CK EYV I LLE G ROTTO 305 W. Main St. Dickeyville, WI 53808 608.568.3119 G ROTTO OF THE RED EMP TI ON 208 First Ave. NW West Bend, IA 50597 515.887.2371 RU D OLP H G ROTTO GA RD ENS 6957 Grotto Ave. Rudolph, WI 54475 715.435.3120 Other noteworthy Midwestern grottoes PA U L A ND MATI LDA WEG NER G ROTTO 7788 Daylight Rd. Sparta, WI 54656 OU R MOTHER OF S ORRO W S G ROTTO Mount Mercy University 1330 Elmhurst Dr. NE Cedar Rapids, IA 52402 OU R L A DY OF G RACE G ROTTO Divine Mercy Parish 502 W. Pleasant St. West Burlington, IA 52655

Grotto of the Redemption.

(Photo courtesy Carl Wycoff )

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Ensure our Catholic values are here for future generations by providing for the schools you love today.

Give Now. Support Forever.

Since 2017, the Catholic Foundation has: Endowed $1M for Catholic Education

Granted $800,000 to schools

Are you interested in creating an endowment or donor advised fund to support a parish, school or ministry you care about? We can help. Visit CatholicFoundationMichigan.org or call 248.204.0332 to learn more.

Established 12 tuition assistance funds

r e v i r A OUR HISTORY

runs by it

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THE MISSIONARY SPIRIT OF TODAY’S ARCHDIOCESE HAS ITS ORIGINS IN THE SPIRIT OF ITS FOUNDING.

MOST IMPORTANT METROPOLITAN AREAS, BUT OUR ARCHDIOCESE HAS A PIONEERING PAST, AS WELL. IN 2000, CARDINAL ADAM MAIDA COMMISSIONED THE CREATION OF THE BOOK MAKE STRAIGHT THE PATH:

A 300-YEAR PILGRIMAGE TO COMMEMORATE THE 300TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF THE CITY, AND THE CHURCH, OF DETROIT.

In the introductory chapter of Make Straight the Path, we read about how the city was seeded by intrepid explorers and missionaries, then watered by the flow of the Detroit River. But what has really made our community blossom is the spirit of evangelization that has rippled through the archdiocese for more than three centuries — and still characterizes us to this day.

To understand who we are now, let’s revisit the stories of our earliest history that remind us of where, and why, we got started.

THE RIVER: GATEWAY TO THE CITY — AND THE ARCHDIOCESE French-Canadian explorer Adrien Jolliet was a courageous pathfinder who, in 1669, became the first European to set eyes upon the territory that one day would be the city of Detroit and the seat of the Archdiocese of Detroit.

Adrien was not as famous as his brother Louis, who along with Father Jacques Marquette were the first non-Natives to explore the upper Mississippi River.

After Jolliet, more brave explorers

would follow the narrow strait beyond Lake Huron, as did equally brave Catholic missionaries.

One such explorer was Robert de La Salle. Did the Mississippi River flow all the way to the Gulf of Mexico? La Salle was determined to find out — and claim the land through which it flowed for the king of France. To traverse the Great Lakes more quickly, La Salle constructed Le Griffon, a 10-ton sailing ship. While the Griffon was moored near Grosse Isle, Franciscan friar Father Louis Hennepin held the first eucharistic celebration within the precinct of the future archdiocese, on Aug. 11, 1679.

The next day, Aug. 12, the wind pushed the Griffon past Belle Isle and into a stunningly beautiful lake. Father Hennepin named it Lake St. Clare, in honor of St. Clare of Assisi, whose feast day it was.

(Her feast day has been celebrated on Aug. 11 since 1970.) Sadly, the Griffon and its crew mysteriously disappeared on the return voyage from Green Bay to the Falls of Niagara, becoming the first shipwreck on the Great Lakes.

Pictured Left: This composite image shows the earliest known diagram of Fort Ponchartrain, called Fort Detroit after France ceded it to England in 1760. The chapel of St. Anne is labeled “C.” French-style ribbon farms extend to the river in the background map. The settlement on the Canadian side is called La Petite Côte, “the Little Side.” Gaspard-Joseph Chaussegros de Lery, 1764. William L. Clements Library Collection, University of Michigan

UNLEASH THE GOSPEL EDITORIAL TEAM

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Open Door Policy is a podcast hosted by Fr. Steve Pullis and Danielle Center. In each episode, they are joined by guests from across the Archdiocese of Detroit who are living as joyful missionary disciples to hear their stories and talk about Unleash the Gospel Pastoral Letter.

L I ST E N O N YO U R FAVO R I T E P O D CA ST A P P. O PE ND O O R P O L I C Y. AO D . O R G

IN AN ENTHUSIASTIC LETTER TO QUEBEC, ANTOINE CADILLAC REPORTS SEEING “MIGHTY OXEN COVERED WITH WOOL.” BUFFALO ONCE ROAMED WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE ARCHDIOCESE!

CALLED TO SHARE THE GOSPEL Curiosity wasn’t the only factor driving discovery. Evangelization also inspired exploration.

There were no Native American settlements along the river at the time of Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac’s famous landing on July 24, 1701 — the date of the founding of Detroit. But five major hunting and trapping trails roughly converged where Detroit now is located, and the river was narrow. For Cadillac, it was the ideal place to establish a fortified trading center, Fort Pontchartrain, and a center for reaching Native Americans with the message of Christ.

The Ottawa, Chippewa and Potawatomi were the original people living within or near the future boundaries of the Archdiocese of Detroit. Eager to trade beaver pelts for French goods, they moved their encampments close to the fort, as did the Hurons and Miamis.

Tradition has it that, two days after his landing, Cadillac erected a rough structure in which Mass was celebrated. Thus, July 26, 1701, the feast day of St. Anne, is claimed

as the founding date of Ste. Anne Parish and the Catholic Church of Detroit. Ste. Anne is thereby the second-oldest permanent parish in the United States, after the cathedral parish of St. Augustine, Florida, which celebrated its first Mass on Sept. 8, 1565.

OUR FIRST PARISH: STE. ANNE DE DETROIT Ste. Anne’s early history was fraught with turmoil.

Fort Pontchartrain’s first chapel of Ste. Anne did not survive a fire in 1703. It was repaired by Cadillac, then replaced in 1708. But then the chapel burned again in 1712, as did a later church structure in the Great Detroit Fire of 1805.

A seventh version of Ste. Anne, completed in 1818, served for a time as the diocesan cathedral. Today’s Sainte Anne de Detroit — its eighth incarnation — was completed in 1886. Its name retains the letter “e” in testimony to its French origin, making it the only parish in the archdiocese that does so.

The renowned Father Gabriel Richard was instrumental in the

CADILLAC CHOSE THE NORTH BANK OF THE RIVER OF THE STRAIT TO BUILD FORT PONCHARTRAIN INSTEAD OF THE SOUTH BANK SIMPLY BECAUSE THE NORTH BANK WAS HIGHER (40 FEET HIGH, IN FACT). YOU COULD SAY DETROIT IS IN MICHIGAN AND NOT IN CANADA BECAUSE OF A VAGARY OF GEOGRAPHY.

construction of the seventh Ste. Anne, as its pastor. In fact, it was Father Richard who penned what was to become the motto of the city of Detroit.

In referring to the great fire that destroyed much of Detroit, Father Richard captured the resilient spirit of the village’s pioneering Catholic population when he wrote: “We hope for better things; it will rise from the ashes.”

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CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD

SERVING OTHERS

right where we are St. Teresa of Calcutta urges us to love here and now

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When we think of service and charity, IT’S OFTEN IN EXTREMES — AN

INTERNATIONAL MISSIONARY TRIP, A LARGE DONATION, A LIFE-CHANGING GESTURE. WE TEND TO GLORIFY WHAT IT MEANS TO SERVE OTHERS, FORGETTING THAT WE CAN SERVE WHEREVER WE ARE AND WHOMEVER WE ENCOUNTER. ST. TERESA OF CALCUTTA IS THE EPITOME OF THIS ALWAYS-ON SPIRIT OF SERVICE.

She encouraged, “Stay where you are.

Find your own Calcutta. Find the sick, the suffering and the lonely, right where you are — in your own homes and in your own families, in homes and in your workplaces and in your schools. You can find Calcutta all over the world, if you have eyes to see.”

If we are truly to become missionary disciples, our acts of service and love can’t be isolated instances. Of course, missionary trips and generous donations are fantastic forms of service that greatly assist the poor and struggling all around the world. Yet we should broaden our idea of our call to service, which St. Teresa so eloquently illuminates.

It takes humility and selflessness to follow this missionary path. A disciple does not do it for her own fulfillment or pride, she does it wholly for the sanctification of others and in gratitude to God. In many ways, it’s actually harder to serve like this, because it takes daily, intentional effort. But it’s our God-given responsibility to love.

Using the spirituality of St. Teresa as a guide, we can learn to love and serve here and now.

APPROACH EVERY PERSON WITH LOVE If we view all men and women as sons and daughters of God, worthy of his unconditional love and mercy, we must treat them as such. Regardless of how others approach us, the only response is love, or, as St. Teresa said, “Seeking the face of God in everything, everyone, everywhere, all the time.”

Though we should aim to approach every person and every interaction with charity, the call to love is easier said than done. Naturally, our human nature gets in the way, causing us to judge, start arguments, dismiss, act unkindly and so on.

But we should remind ourselves of what St. Teresa said: “Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.”

SEEK OUT THE POOR IN YOUR MIDST There are poor everywhere — economically, spiritually and emotionally.

St. Teresa reminded us, “The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread.” Poorness can mean hungering for love, lacking friendship, suffering in silence, dealing with loss or struggling through loneliness, anxiety and depression.

St. Teresa shared, “The most terrible poverty is loneliness and the feeling of being unloved. Everywhere, wherever you go, you find people who are unwanted, unloved, uncared for, just rejected by society — completely forgotten, completely left alone.” Tune in to those in your life, whatever their relationship with you might be, to see how you can be a light of Christ.

EMBRACE THE (SEEMINGLY) ORDINARY Something as simple as a smile, a compliment, a kind word or an empathetic ear can be exactly what someone needs.

“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love,” said St. Teresa. Treat every moment as an opportunity to pour out love. Never underestimate the power of any loving act — big or small.

CHRISTINE WARNER, WRITER • DIEGO DIAZ, ILLUSTRATOR

LIVE WITH PURPOSEFUL JOY We need to stay attuned to the Holy Spirit, who will inspire us to act out of love — even if we don’t realize it. As long as we’re intentional about the desire to serve and love, God will move us. St. Teresa urged, “We must be able to radiate the joy of Christ, express it in our actions. If our actions are just useful actions that give no joy to the people, our poor people would never be able to rise up to the call which we want them to hear, the call to come closer to God.” At the very least, we can serve through our joy.

St. Teresa of Calcutta St. Teresa of Calcutta is a contemporary saint known for her selfless service, firm faith, humble heart and ceaseless charity.

Born in Macedonia as Anjeze Gonxha Bojaxhiu in 1910, she joined the Sisters of Loreto at the age of 18 in Ireland. She then traveled to India, where she worked as a teacher at a girls’ school, taking her first vows in 1931 and choosing the name Sister Mary Teresa after St. Therese of Lisieux. In 1946, she received what she recounted as a “call within a call” to start her own religious community, the Missionaries of Charity, to serve the poorest of the poor. The order was officially established in 1950 in the Archdiocese of Calcutta and recognized by Pope St. Paul VI in 1965. The magnitude of St. Teresa’s impact was recognized even beyond the global Catholic community; she received multiple awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.

After her death in 1997 at the age of 87, it was discovered from her writings that St. Teresa experienced what she called “the darkness,” a prolonged feeling of separation from God. Yet she persevered in her vocation and service to the poor.

St. Teresa of Calcutta was canonized in 2016 by Pope Francis. Today, there are more than 4,000 Missionaries of Charity in over 120 countries, continuing St. Teresa’s mission of service and healing.

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PR AYER 101

WITNESSES’’ IN ACTS, WE LEARN HOW THE APOSTLES WERE

CALLED TO SPREAD THE GOSPEL MESSAGE TO JERUSALEM AND BEYOND. IN PRAYER, WE DISCERN Before his Ascension, Jesus told the apostles that their response to the Good News of salvation should be to act as his faithful witnesses.

He told them the Holy Spirit would give them power — not the power to rule an earthly kingdom, but the power to spread the word of a heavenly one. “You will be my witnesses,” he told them, “in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) The power of the Holy Spirit would

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HOW WE MUST RESPOND TO THAT SAME CALL. help win back the world for God the Father — the very reason Jesus Christ had come.

The power of the Holy Spirit that enabled the Gospel to spread from Jerusalem, through Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth now compels the Catholic Church in

Detroit to share the Good News with individuals, families, parishes and all of Southeast Michigan.

As we respond to the Good News, we can pray with those who first heard the Gospel and ask God to make our response to the mission as joyful and bold as theirs was.

JERUSALEM

THROUGH JUDEA AND SAMARIA

TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH

THE CROWDS GATHER ON PENTECOST

THE PEOPLE WITNESS A HEALING

LYDIA AND HER FAMILY ARE BAPTIZED

READ

Acts 9:31-35 An excerpt: (Peter) found a man named Aeneas, who had been confined to bed for eight years, for he was paralyzed. Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed.” He got up at once. And all the inhabitants of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.

Acts 2:1-41 An excerpt: (Peter said,) “Therefore let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and they asked Peter and the other apostles, “What are we to do, my brothers?” Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the holy Spirit.”

REFLECT Are my eyes and ears open to the signs and wonders that God is performing today? Do I pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit and the fire of God’s love?

Am I willing to let myself be emptied of whatever is not of God so that I may be filled by God? Do I beg the Holy Spirit for new language and words to tell the Good News of what Jesus has done for me? Do I listen attentively about the “mighty acts of God” in the lives of others, or am I quick to dismiss their experiences as if they “have had too much new wine?” Does the Good News “cut to the heart” of me?

RESPOND (In these or your own words) Lord Jesus, Son of the Father, you gather us “all in one place together” as beloved sons and daughters. In the house of your Church, we are filled by your Holy Spirit. Enkindle in my heart a fire of love for other and help me to share the Good News “like a strong driving wind.” Amen.

READ

REFLECT Am I building myself up as a joyful missionary disciple by walking daily in fear of the Lord? Do I allow Jesus, who is “passing through every region” of my life, to make me more holy? What sins, fears, doubts or distractions confine and paralyze me from walking more closely with Jesus?

Where am I still in need of Jesus’ healing word and touch? What concrete, practical actions is God asking of me as part of the new life of forgiveness and healing I have received?

RESPOND Lord Jesus, Prince of Peace, you give our Church and our hearts a peace the world cannot. Heal and raise up all that is still wounded and broken in our Church and our hearts. Help me to experience the healing you give so I may turn my life to you, the Lord. Amen.

READ Acts 16:11-15 An excerpt: A woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth, from the city of Thyatira, a worshiper of God, listened, and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what Paul was saying. After she and her household had been baptized, she offered us an invitation, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my home,” and she prevailed on us.

REFLECT How can I better make time and space for prayer throughout my day? Do I offer to pray with people I meet, especially when they mention specific intentions? Am I open to praying with them right then and there? Do I give my all to God in worship?

Do I listen and pay attention to what God says in prayer, or do I fill the time only with my own words? Do I open my heart and home to the needs of others? Are there any areas of my life that Jesus is not invited into?

RESPOND Lord Jesus, most worthy of worship and prayer, you call us to go out as your disciples to invite others into relationship with you.

Help me to respond generously to your invitation to be in my life so that your goodness and your grace may prevail upon me. Amen.

FATHER BRIAN MELDRUM was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Detroit in 2015 and served as the associate pastor at Our Lady of the Lakes Parish in Waterford. Before attending Sacred Heart Major Seminary, he was a music minister and theater director and member of St. Thecla Parish in Clinton Township. He is currently studying sacred Scripture at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

FATHER BRIAN MELDRUM, WRITER • VALAURIAN WALLER, PHOTOGRAPHER

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P RAYING WITH T HE C H UR CH FATHER S

A CHRISTIAN WAY OF LIFE IN THE WORLD AND FOR THE WORLD The Epistle to Diognetus

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DIEGO DIAZ, ILLUSTRATOR

H HO W ARE CHRISTIANS CAL L E D TO L I VE A

DISTINCTIVE WAY O F L I F E I N THE W ORL D A ROUND THEM? WHAT D OE S I T M E AN TO B E “ I N THE W ORLD” BUT NOT “ OF THE W ORL D ” ?

HO W CAN WE LOVE T HE P E OP L E AROU ND U S W HE N THEY DO N OT RE S P E C T U S OR OU R WAY O F LIFE ? THIS SE LEC TI ON F ROM THE EPISTLE

TO DIOGNETUS , ON E OF THE M OS T I NS P I RI NG WRITINGS FROM THE E ARL I E S T DAYS OF THE CHURCH, OFFERS A P O WE RF U L ANS WE R.

Diognetus is an anonymous letter written around the middle of the second century (circa A.D. 150), when Christians had spread out and were living in cities across the Ancient World. Diognetus shows that what makes us distinctive is not our language or clothing — not our outward appearance — but the moral life we live in families and in community.

There is a profound paradox here: As Christians, we live in every city, but our true home is in heaven. We invest and give ourselves to those around us, but we belong to Christ. We are able to love even when we are hated.

The letter uses the analogy of the soul in the body to show how Christians are actually the soul of the world — they are the ones who hold things together by their godly way of life. We are not only called to live our lives “in the world,” but we are called to love the world and bring Christ into the world, through the way we live and witness. Just as Christ suffered when he loved the world, we, too, are called to be ready to suffer — even the loss of our lives — as we give witness to the world that Christ died to redeem.

CO M M E N TARY BY D R . DA NI EL K EAT I NG

The Epistle to Diognetus, 5-6 For Christians are not distinguished from the rest of humanity by country, language or custom. For nowhere do they live in cities of their own, nor do they speak some unusual dialect, nor do they practice an eccentric way of life. The teaching of theirs has not been discovered by the thought and reflection of ingenious people, nor do they promote any human doctrine, as some do. But while they live in both Greek and barbarian cities, as each one’s lot was cast, and follow the local customs in dress and food and other aspects of life, at the same time they demonstrate the remarkable and admittedly unusual character of their own citizenship.

They live in their own countries, but only as non-residents; they participate in everything as citizens and endure everything as foreigners.

Every foreign country is their fatherland, and every fatherland is foreign.

They marry like everyone else and have children, but they do not expose their offspring. They share their food but not their wives. They are in the flesh, but they do not live according to the flesh. They live on earth, but their citizenship is in heaven.

They obey the established laws; indeed in their private lives they transcend the laws. They love everyone, and by everyone they are persecuted. They are unknown, yet they are condemned; they are put to death, yet they are brought to life.

They are poor, yet they make many rich; they are in need of everything, yet they abound in everything.

They are dishonored, yet they are glorified in their dishonor; they are slandered, yet they are vindicated.

They are cursed, yet they bless;

they are insulted, yet they offer respect. When they do good, they are punished as evildoers; when they are punished, they rejoice as though brought to life.

In a word, what the soul is to the body, Christians are to the world.

The soul is dispersed through all the members of the body, and Christians throughout the cities of the world.

The soul dwells in the body, but it is not of the body; likewise, Christians dwell in the world but are not of the world. The flesh hates the soul and wages war against it, even though it has suffered no wrong, because it is hindered from indulging in its pleasures; so also the world hates the Christians, even though it has suffered no wrong, because they set themselves against its pleasures.

The soul loves the flesh that hates it, and its members, and Christians love those who hate them. The soul is locked up in the body, but it holds the body together; and though Christians are detained in the world as if in a prison, they in fact hold the world together. The soul, which is immortal, lives in a mortal dwelling; similarly, Christians live as strangers amid perishable things while awaiting the imperishable in heaven.

The soul, when poorly treated with respect to food and drink, becomes all the better; and so Christians, when punished, daily increase more and more. Such is the important position to which God has appointed them, and it is not right for them to decline it.

This translation is from Michael W. Holmes, The Apostolic Fathers in English, 3rd edition (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2006), 295-96.

UN LE A SH T H E G O SP E L . O R G |

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Sunday, September 15 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Celebrate Detroit’s French history at Ste. Anne de Detroit, music, dancing, food, raffles, children’s activities, reenactors, cultural exhibits. www.ste-anne.org 1000 Ste. Anne St. Detroit, MI 48216 @SteAnnedeDetroitFrench

FAMILY CHALLENGE

THE MONASTERY OF THE HOME TUESDAY SINGING HYMNS

Tips and tools for making your family life one of prayer and peace Even though I discerned out of religious life years ago, marriage and motherhood have revealed to me a miniature monastic community to cultivate, one in my tiny Chicago apartment with my husband and daughter.

Like monastic life, family life has its own rhythms and repetition. And caring for a toddler has shown me that our collective sanity depends on our ability to make our home and prayer life a haven of simplicity and order. We’re definitely a work in progress, which means we can experience the joy of experimenting with various prayerful exercises to see which ones stick.

Here are some of the practices we’ve tried to incorporate into our family life, representing a variety of religious communities and a spectrum of spiritualities. May these ideas help you bring some ora et labora into the monastery of your home.

MONDAY MAKE A FAMILY ALTAR For centuries, Catholic families kept altars in their homes as mindful spaces to use for prayer. This practice has largely been forgotten in our contemporary culture, but one need not be Chip or Joanna Gaines to bring it back. For my family, our altar is the top of a dresser where we’ve placed some candles and hung a crucifix and a few religious paintings. This has become the space for other religious articles we accrue: our Advent wreath, palms, my daughter’s baptismal candles. Your altar can be as simple or as ornate as you like; how it looks is less important than that it exists and serves as a space to collect, reflect and pray.

GOING DEEPER: Read Little Oratory: A Beginner’s Guide to Praying in the Home, in which David Clayton and Leila Lawler write with the hope of “transforming the home into a little Eden.” They offer concrete instruction on how to prepare your home to live the liturgical life of the Church by creating “visible signs of spiritual awareness and devotion” around which you can structure your family’s prayer life.

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You know that toddler you see at Mass running from her parents toward the altar, yelling at the top of her lungs? That’s my daughter. Compliance is not her strong suit. But when the music starts, never has a more appropriate reaction been seen. She raises her arms with joy, sings, dances and applauds. My husband, Andrew, and I try to capitalize on this by incorporating song into our prayer routine. We pull out our guitar and banjo and our daughter’s Hello Kitty tambourine and maracas and have family jam sessions using our hymnal.

GOING DEEPER: For those who like to play and sing, the Adoremus Hymnal has it all. Organized by everything from liturgical season to meters, this thick, 600-pager has everything you could ever want. For the less musically inclined, check out the hymn covers by your favorite artists. Sufjan Stevens, Mumford & Sons, Gillian Welch and countless others have covered timeless favorites with the same folksy instrumentals of their mainstream hits.

WEDNESDAY LITURGY OF THE HOURS Few things scream monasticism more than the Liturgy of the Hours. This meditative dialogue of the Church uses five canonical prayers that mark the day’s hours through scriptural proclamation and dialogue with Christ. Few family lives allow for praying together five times throughout the day, but many allow for a morning prayer when the family is gathered before breakfast or for an evening prayer when you’re tucked in bed with a spouse. The Liturgy of the Hours is a perfect tool for those drowsy parenting moments when you’re at a loss for words to pray.

GOING DEEPER: Try a subscription to Magnificat, which provides morning, evening and night prayers in a digestible little magazine or app, along with Mass readings and daily reflections. If you’re not sure you’re ready to commit to a subscription, try the free Laudate app.

THURSDAY INVITE SOMEONE TO DINNER Hospitality is a cornerstone of many religious orders and can be practiced from the humble quarters of your own home, particularly for a group of people often overlooked. Too often we forget that the priest at the pulpit or the sister in the pew is someone with whom we can build community, just as with any other parishioner. Show appreciation for the religious in your community through the simple act of inviting them for dinner. Throw your heart into hospitality the same way Martha’s sister Mary did with a bottle of perfume for Christ. Bake from scratch, set the table beautifully and strive to make your home a slice of heaven for whomever you’re inviting.

GOING DEEPER: Get inspired by watching one of Pope Francis’ favorite films, Babette’s Feast. This Danish film follows a humble French servant, Babette, who wins the lottery and decides to spend her money on an opulent feast for her employers. Foodies will find the scenes of quail and caviar preparation mouth-watering, and everyone can enjoy the restorative healing created by this meal fit for a king.

FRIDAY THE ADORATION HANDOFF Ironic as it sounds, sometimes the best prayer activity you can implement within your family is prayer time alone. Carting children to Mass is a vastly different experience than the prayer time you spend in solitude, and the impromptu prayerful moment feels like a thing of the past once you become a parent. Prayer becomes something that needs to be scheduled. So, start an adoration handoff. Pick one night a week to have alone time at adoration while your spouse watches the kids, and then switch places.

GOING DEEPER: Therealpresence.org has compiled a list of all perpetual adoration chapels in the United States.

CASEY MCCORRY, WRITER • CHRISTI MARCHESCHI, PHOTOGRAPHER

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@UTGDETROIT

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SUNDAY A DAY OF REST

SATURDAY CULTIVATE SILENCE Without realizing it, we saturate our lives with noise — and we transfer this appetite for incessant stimulation to our children. Fight that temptation to entertain by finding times to opt for silence. Challenge yourself to turn off the radio for a car ride. Don’t offer your child the iPad on every road trip. If the only topic you can think to bring up at dinner is someone else’s business, choose to say nothing at all.

When you resist the urge to constantly engage your children, you’ll find the irony is that it will be easier for them and harder for you.

A lot of industries today thrive on the 24/7 availability made possible by technology. Being “on call” has become a way to distinguish oneself, while family life has become secondary. We need to reclaim the Sabbath. Depending on your work schedule, pick one day a week when you retreat from the work world completely. Don’t check emails, turn off phone notifications and ignore social media. Teach your bosses to expect this from you. And then dedicate that day to your family with the same devotion you offer your employer on work days.

GOING DEEPER: I looked at my spare time differently after reading Josef Pieper’s Leisure: The Basis of Culture.

This German Catholic philosopher will open your eyes to how culture misuses time, and he’ll help you achieve a healthier balance between work hours and leisure hours.

GOING DEEPER: The award-winning film Into Great Silence documents the lives of Carthusian monks who have taken a vow of silence. Watching it is like taking a bath in monastic life, and we hear the silence we choose to take for granted in the everyday moments of our own lives.

EVERY DAY END-OF-DAY EXAMEN The pace of family life rarely allows for daily reflection, and it becomes all too easy to let a week or month pass without evaluating our spiritual growth. The Daily Examen is a fivestep technique created by St. Ignatius to prayerfully reflect on God’s presence in each day and discern God’s direction for our lives. Incorporate this into your children’s bedtime routine so no one can fall asleep without doing it. Before tucking the kids in, discuss the events of the day for each family member — your difficult phone call with a client or your daughter’s exciting trip to the zoo — and pray through them together.

GOING DEEPER: To start praying the Examen, you need only know the five steps. You can print your own prayer card with the steps and find more information at IgnatianSpirituality.com.

UN LE A SH T H E G O SP E L . O R G |

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FORGIVEN

THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE

FREE

GOING DEEPER

Priests hear confessions at World Youth Day 2019 in Panama.

FATHER CHARLES FOX, WRITER • NAOMI VRAZO, PHOTOGRAPHER

IF

YOU HAVE EVER FOUND YOURSELF SAYING OR THINKING, “I AM A SINNER,” THEN YOU HAVE SOMETHING IN COMMON WITH POPE FRANCIS — AND EVERY OTHER PERSON ON EARTH WHO RECOGNIZES THE TRUTH ABOUT THE HUMAN CONDITION. BUT GOD WANTS TO

TRANSFORM OUR HUMAN CONDITION SO WE BECOME LIKE HIM, READY TO LIVE WITH HIM FOREVER. THE SEASON OF LENT CHALLENGES US TO “TURN AWAY FROM SIN AND BE FAITHFUL TO THE GOSPEL,” BUT THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION ALLOWS US TO DO THAT EVERY DAY, YEAR-ROUND, IF WE SIMPLY CHOOSE TO.

CAN GOD FORGIVE MY SINS? Yes! God can do anything, and he wants very much to show you his love and mercy. St. Paul teaches us, “This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” (1 Tm 1:15) The very reason God sent his only Son to live among us, to suffer and die for us and to rise from the dead was so he could save us from sin and death. No matter what sins you have committed — and no matter how many times or for how many months or even years you have committed them — God can forgive you, and he wants to do so more than you can possibly imagine.

WHY SHOULD I GO TO CONFESSION? In his kindness, God has not left us in the dark about how we are to have our sins forgiven. On the evening of the first Easter Sunday, Jesus Christ appeared to his apostles and said to them, “Peace be with you.

As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And we read further in the Gospel of John, “And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.’” (Jn 20:22-23) Jesus entrusted the power of his forgiveness to his first priests, the apostles, and in turn to all of the bishops and priests of the Church who would follow after them. In the sacrament of penance or reconciliation, known also as confession, priests share the gift of God’s forgiveness with those who are sorry for their sins and who are ready to confess those sins and live a new life.

Approaching a priest for confession can make a person nervous.

Priests also go to confession regularly, so they understand how you feel! But the sacrament of penance is about God’s love, his mercy and the freedom that comes with knowing your sins are forgiven. Many Catholics would undoubtedly agree that the most consoling words they ever hear in this life are those they hear near the end of their confessions, when the priest says, “I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

UN LE A SH T H E G O SP E L . O R G |

FATHER CHARLES FOX is a priest of the Archdiocese of Detroit currently assigned to the theology faculty of Sacred Heart Major Seminary. He is also a weekend associate pastor at St. Therese of Lisieux Parish in Shelby Township and chaplain and a board member of St. Paul Evangelization Institute, headquartered in Warren.

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HOW DO I GO TO CONFESSION? Whatever you do, please do go! The priest-confessor will be happy to give you any help you need in order to make a good confession and receive God’s forgiveness. Even if you have no idea what to do or say, the priest is there to help you. But here are some steps that will guide you through a typical confession.

PREPARE: It is important to prepare well for your confession.

Pray to the Holy Spirit to guide you, even with a prayer as simple as, “Come, Holy Spirit!” Spend some time examining your conscience, asking God to help you know your sins so you can make a full confession. Pay special attention to more serious (mortal) sins; try your best to remember all of those sins and how often you committed them, even if you need to estimate. You may choose to write down your sins, for the sake of helping your memory, but you do not need to do so. Please see the examination of conscience below to help guide you.

APPROACH: This is the big step: actually approaching the priest for confession. Catholic parishes advertise their regular times for confession (often on Saturday afternoons) and usually also offer confessions by appointment. Feel free also to approach a priest in person to ask for confession.

He will often be able to help you right away, or he’ll be happy to set up another time as soon as possible. During regular confession times, you’ll be entering a confessional, or reconciliation room, located in the church building and in most cases clearly marked. A green light or an open door are the typical signals that you are free to enter. You may choose to confess anonymously, from behind the screen, or by sitting face to face with your confessor. The priest may greet you, or you can simply begin by saying, “Forgive me, Father, I have sinned. It has been [amount of time] since my last confession. These are my sins …”

CONFESS: The keys here are honesty and completeness.

Be sure to confess all of your mortal sins to the priest, telling him how often you have committed them and any circumstance that would help him understand the seriousness of the sin. To hold back one of these sins from your confessor is to prevent the forgiveness of any of them. It is akin to how holding back a serious symptom or injury from your doctor would prevent him or her from being able to keep you healthy. If you honestly forget something, however, trust that all of your sins are forgiven. Just mention your forgotten sin at your next confession. It is also helpful to confess your smaller (venial) sins, but you do not need to give the number of these sins. There is no need to go into elaborate detail about your sins, and remember that the priest can always ask clarifying questions if needed.

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DIALOGUE: After you confess your sins, your confessor may have some final questions or a word of advice for you. He will then suggest a penance, which you are called to offer to God as a token of reparation for the sins you have committed. If your penance is unclear to you, please ask the priest to clarify before accepting it. The priest will then invite you to make an act of contrition, expressing your sorrow to God for having sinned and stating your commitment to beginning again as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

ACT OF CONTRITION: O my God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good, I have sinned against you whom I should love above all things. I firmly intend, with your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin.

Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. In his name, my God, have mercy. Amen.

ABSOLUTION AND PENANCE: After you say your act of contrition, your confessor will then raise his hands and pray the absolution over you, acting in the person of Jesus Christ to forgive your sins. As the priest makes the sign of the cross over you, you should make the sign of the cross on yourself and conclude by saying, “Amen.” The priest will then dismiss you so you can go perform your penance.

“But now that you have been freed from sin … the benefit that you have leads to sanctification, and its end is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 6:22-23)

EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE

There are many fine examinations of conscience available online and elsewhere, but here is an examination based on the great commandments: love of God and love of neighbor.

“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” (Mt 22:37) • I s there anything in my life I have prioritized above God? • Have I deliberately missed Mass on any Sunday or holy day of obligation or otherwise failed to honor these days that are dedicated to the Lord?

• Have I received holy Communion while in a state of mortal sin?

• Have I lied or withheld a mortal sin in a previous confession?

• Do I pray every day? Do I pray as much as I should?

• Have I turned away from the Catholic faith? Have I purposely entertained doubts about my faith in God or his Church?

• Have I engaged in superstition or the occult?

• Do I trust God? Have I ever doubted God or led others to doubt him? Have I been cynical about God or the Church?

• Have I used God’s name in vain? Have I governed my speech appropriately?

• Have I supported the mission of the Church with my time, talent and treasure?

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mt 22:39) • H ave I been appropriately respectful of my parents and of all who hold positions of authority?

• Have I caused physical or emotional harm to any person through my words or actions?

• Have I had an abortion or in any way encouraged or assisted another person in having an abortion?

• H ave I failed to help and support my family, my parish, the poor, the sick, the lonely, the discouraged or the imprisoned when I could have done something to help?

• H ave I violated another person’s right to a good name through gossip or detraction?

• H ave I abused drugs or alcohol?

• D o I respect the dignity of human sexuality?

Have I ever violated that dignity through purposeful thoughts, through my words, in my use of entertainment or through impure actions with myself or with another person?

• H ave I used contraception?

• H ave I undergone sterilization or made use of immoral fertility practices?

• H ave I used the internet or any form of entertainment in an inappropriate way?

• H ave I lied? Have I revealed information that should have been kept confidential?

• H ave I stolen anything from another person or organization? Have I been honest in my work? Have I cheated on my taxes? Have I in any way taken or withheld what was rightfully someone else’s?

• H ave I fully respected the dignity of marriage, whether my own or the marriages of others?

• D o I seek to do God’s will in my life and to help others to do so?

• H ave I been prideful? Have I envied the status, wealth, popularity or possessions of others?

Am I satisfied with the gifts God has given me?

• H ave I led anyone else to sin by my words or example?

UN LE A SH T H E G O SP E L . O R G |

This article was first published as a tract for the St. Paul Evangelization Institute, streetevangelization.com.

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PURSUING HOLINESS Q&A

CANDE ROSEMARY Modeling their faith through their family motto: ‘It’s not about me’ 52

A R C HDIOCE SE OF DET ROI T

BILLY HARDIMAN, PHOTOGRAPHER

HO W DO YOU PREVENT YOUR PRAYER LIFE FROM GRO WING STALE AND JUST GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS? CA ND E: I really struggle with memorized prayers. When I first entered a personal relationship with Jesus, I spent hours thinking about how I prayed. Specifically, I thought about how I was taught as a child. For years, I prayed out of memorization and habit; I never gave much thought to what I was saying. This really disappointed me as I thought about how I never really gave much effort to my prayer life, other than just reciting a quick “Hail Mary.”

As I have learned, I’ve realized the two best ways for me to pray are while I drive and when I’m with others. If others ask for prayer, I pray for them immediately, in the moment.

At times, I will ask someone if I can pray for them. Then, I will also do that immediately so I won’t forget; I will just say what is in my heart. Sometimes I pray aloud spontaneously.

At times, it’s a Rosary; other times, I just talk to God and visualize that he is right next to me. The other thing I do regularly is drive with the radio off, in silence. This is my time with God, my time to think and listen for his voice.

I’ve learned that my prayer life is my relationship with God.

I WANT TO GRO W IN MY ABILIT Y TO DEFEND THE CATHOLIC FAITH AND TEACHINGS. WHAT ARE THE BEST RESOURCES OR WAYS TO EDUCATE MYSELF?

CANDE AND ROSEMARY DE LEON live in Phoenix, where Cande serves as the executive director for mission advancement for the Diocese of Phoenix and Rosemary serves as the catechist for The Catechesis of the Good Shepard program at St. Francis Xavier Catholic School. Originally from Corpus Christi, Texas, the couple met while Cande was serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. He boldly proposed to Rosemary after knowing her for only two weeks! Rosemary was Baptist, and Cande was very distant from the Catholic faith. They decided to learn about each other’s faith, which led to Rosemary becoming Catholic after finding a connection with the Blessed Mother as a pregnant mom. Twenty-two years later, they have four daughters — Isabella (21), Abigail (18), Alexandra (14) and Sophia (11) — and are focused on strengthening their family to serve others.

CA ND E: For those who want to learn more about their faith and have the ability to defend it, they have to dive deep into the word of God. The Bible is a great gift that I only began to utilize later in my life. Reading the Bible isn’t like reading a book; it’s more like a glimpse into humanity’s connectedness. At times, I have found it a bit difficult to understand and see the big picture or even the details of our history.

When I have felt this way, I’ve paused to pray and ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom, and I have always tried to seek out experts in Scripture.

When I first started my journey as an adult in the faith, I listened to people who shared the word of God on the radio. I recall listening to a Protestant pastor who was one of the best exegetical presenters I have ever heard to this day, and I have often thought about reaching out to him to thank him for his ministry. I think back on how that was just the beginning of my journey, and although he is not Catholic, he helped me understand Scripture. It was up to me to use this as a starting point and put it through the lens of the Church.

This compelled me to learn more. Another great teacher for me was Archbishop Fulton Sheen. His simple and direct style of sharing the Gospel was exactly how I needed God’s word to be introduced in my life.

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Please join us for worship at

Sacred Heart Church All are Welcome!

HO W CAN I BEST LIVE OUT OUR CALL TO BE MISSIONARY DISCIPLES IN MY LOCAL COMMUNIT Y?

MA SS S CH E D ULE :

Saturday 4 p.m. • Sunday 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.

3400 South Adams Road • Auburn Hills, MI 48326 For more information visit esacredheart.org or call 248.852.4170, ext. 10

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A Great Place to Call Home

ROS EMA RY : Start at home. I think our call as missionary disciples begins in our own families, before we even attempt to go anywhere else. How do we love those closest to us, when those closest to us also drive us crazy?

Our family is notorious for teasing, joking and sarcasm.

Our family has also seen our brokenness, weaknesses and faults, but in all this, the love we have for each other is central. They have always been very good at holding Cande and me accountable to stay true to ourselves, and we have done the same for them. A very dear priest friend of ours always said, “Who you are at home is who you truly are.” I have always loved this, because although I serve our community as a missionary disciple, first and foremost for me is how I love my family.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAYS YOU HAVE F OUND F OR GRO WING IN FAITH AS A FAMILY? CA ND E: In order to help our daughters grow in their faith, my wife and I have tried to build trust and consistency with them. We believe the family is a reflection of the Church, so we have tried to teach them the church is their family; therefore, our love for them should serve as that example.

ROS EMA RY : To provide this example, we do things such as working together, eating together and spending quality time with each other. Usually on Saturday morning you can find our family either cleaning our home (always with very loud music playing) or outside working on our yard. Whatever it is we are doing, we are always doing it as a team. By working together, we build accountability to the family, and we are teaching service to one another.

We tell our daughters it is their contribution to the family. If you ask our daughters about a family motto, they would be quick to respond our motto is: “It’s not about me.” We believe by teaching our daughters service and sacrifice and showing love in the family, it will be easier for them to do the same for others.

CA ND E: As our family has grown, sharing meals has become more difficult. Everyone always seems to be busy with one thing or another. When we do come together for a meal, we are saying to each other that our time together is important.

2300 Watkins Lake Road • Waterford, MI • 48328 248-674-2241 • www.LourdesSeniorCommunity.org Sponsored by the Dominican Sisters of Peace

R O S EM A RY : Our quality time usually comes on Sunday and it can involve Mass, movies or just hanging out.

When our kids were really small, we would do everything together — even going to the grocery store.

It sounds basic, but it works. These things are setting the foundation for building the faith.

HO W DO YOU AND YOUR WIFE CONTINUE TO GRO W IN FAITH AS A MARRIED COUPLE AMIDST THE BUSYNESS OF FAMILY LIFE AND CHILDREN? R O S EM A RY : At times, Cande and I have felt the busyness take hold. We try to remember the ways that connect us the most, and one of us always seems to take the lead to keep us connected. For example, at Mass we try to sit next to each other, which can sometimes be a challenge with four daughters. Sitting together allows us to just hold hands and pray together.

“START AT HOME. I THI NK OUR CALL AS MISSIONARY DISCIPLES BEGINS IN OUR O WN FA MILIES, BEF ORE WE EVEN ATTEMPT TO GO ANYWHERE ELSE.”

CA ND E: It’s also important to point out that I did not always realize how powerful prayer was in our marriage.

I recall when I was 30 years old, after 10 years of being married, I came into a relationship with Jesus. At this time, my wife shared with me that her constant prayer was that God would make me the man that he created me to be. This surprised me! I had no idea my wife had been praying for me for the first 10 years of our marriage.

I believe this was my introduction to the power of prayer and how it needed to become an essential part of our marriage from this time forward.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE F OR POSITIVELY AND PRODUCTIVELY ENGAGING IN POLITICAL DIALOGUE AS A CATHOLIC? CA ND E: Keep it simple, and don’t forget everyone is on a journey. As Catholics, we must profess and defend the teaching of the Church, because that is what we are called to do. With that said, we must remember that we can’t change people’s minds. We can only share and invite and allow the Holy Spirit to do his work. When we are challenged on some of the fundamental teachings of the Church that might not be politically correct, it is important to lean on God for wisdom. Ask him to give you the right words to say and always be reminded that you will be sharing those words with another child of God. We can proclaim the truth with boldness and love.

- R OSEMARY DE LE ON

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UNLEA SHE D Q UESTIONNA IR E

DR. KENNETH WARNER WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ? I Had to Survive by Dr. Roberto Canessa and Pablo Vierci. After surviving a tragic plane crash, Canessa makes a dangerous trek across the Andes mountains to rescue himself and the remaining survivors. He used this heart-wrenching experience as inspiration for his career as a renowned pediatric cardiologist.

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR? Complacency. As individuals and as a society, we need to constantly strive to improve our knowledge base and skills in order to fulfill our mission to spread the Gospel in the most meaningful way possible.

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST PET PEEVE?

WHAT IS YOUR EARLIEST MEMORY?

The Feast of All Souls. This is a time to reflect and honor those who have passed before us.

My father teaching me to ride a bicycle, a skill I continue to enjoy!

WHAT IS YOUR BEST QUALITY?

The overutilization of cell phones.

Effective and genuine communication oftentimes requires a personal conversation.

I try to be an effective and compassionate listener. This is an important trait all parents and physicians need to cultivate.

IF YOU HAD UNLIMITED RESOURCES, WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST RISK YOU’VE TAKEN?

I would invest in a means to eradicate poverty, establish fair and just governance in all countries and develop programs to promote the health and education of all children throughout the world.

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WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FEAST DAY?

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While studying engineering, I decided to change my career path to pursue a career in medicine. I feel fortunate that I have been able to combine my education in engineering and medicine during our surgical procedures.

WHAT VIRTUE DO YOU MOST ADMIRE IN OTHERS? Honesty. The ability to be open and honest with ourselves, our peers and our mentors is a virtue that was extolled by my parents and my Catholic education. Honesty, respect for others and integrity are the cornerstones of our daily personal and professional relationships.

WHAT GIVES YOU THE MOST HAPPINESS? From a career standpoint, the ability to repair damaged hearts brings professional satisfaction. On a more

DIEGO DIAZ, ILLUSTRATOR

personal level, the love and support of my family and friends provides much personal happiness.

WHAT’S THE FIRST THING YOU DO WHEN YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING? I usually jog outdoors in the morning.

During the week, I try and run with one of our pet dogs. On the weekends, my wife, Martha, will oftentimes join me.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? I am most fortunate to have a wonderful and loving wife and three wonderful children.

WHAT IS YOUR VISION OF HEAVEN? My humble view of an eternal heaven is where one is reunited with their loved ones in complete harmony and freedom.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB? My first job was as a golf caddie. It proved to be a worthwhile educational experience in developing interpersonal skills when interacting with individuals with different backgrounds and professions.

WHAT IS YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT? While receiving my high school diploma, I blew a bubble with chewing gum on the stage at Ford Auditorium. Although some in the audience were amused, members of my family were not.

HOW DO YOU DEFINE A “MISSIONARY DISCIPLE”?

A missionary disciple is a person who — through his actions, words and example — spreads the message of the Gospel to others with sincerity and compassion.

WHAT KEEPS YOU UP AT NIGHT? Secularism. Although the separation of church and state is an important political principle, the current emphasis on minimizing our spiritual and religious convictions in our society is dangerous and creating an unhealthy culture of cynicism and pessimism. As a society, we need to once again establish the importance of our Christian values to provide a sense of hope and optimism in our everyday lives.

HOW DO YOU WANT TO BE REMEMBERED WHEN YOU DIE? Hopefully, I will be remembered as a devout Christian, someone deeply committed to his family and a dedicated physician.

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE MOTTO OR MANTRA? “Mind over matter.” This is a lesson my parents instilled in us at an early age. No matter how great the challenge or adversity, with persistence, determination and the will of God, we can achieve our goals.

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?

Laura Hillenbrand. She has written several inspirational books, including Unbroken.

Fortunately, my wife has a very good sense of humor, as do my children. In addition, I have learned to find, in some way, humor in the numerous misadventures that occur throughout my day.

As a consequence, I am almost always in a good mood!

WHO IS YOUR FICTIONAL HERO?

HOW DO YOU DEFINE SUCCESS?

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE AUTHOR?

Robin Hood.

WHICH SAINT DO YOU TURN TO FOR INTERCESSION THE MOST? St. Joseph.

Success is the ability to realize one’s calling in life and to then devote all of one’s energies and focus to advance their skills to fulfill their true potential. Oftentimes, the daily satisfaction of making the small steps during the journey is as important and fulfilling as achieving the final goal.

As individuals, we — and not others — define our own personal success.

Dr. Kenneth Warner, M.D., is an associate professor of surgery at Tufts Medical School in Boston and a senior cardiothoracic surgeon at Tufts Medical Center, where he has practiced both pediatric and cardiac surgery since 1990. He was born in Detroit and attended archdiocesan schools, including the Shrine of the Little Flower in Royal Oak and Our Lady Queen of Martyrs in Beverly Hills, before graduating from St. Regis Elementary School in Bloomfield Hills.

He attended Brother Rice High School and received degrees in engineering and medicine from the University of Michigan. He received his formal training in surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital. During his tenure as chief of the division of cardiac surgery at Tufts, he helped build a busy and renowned heart transplant program in addition to establishing a successful training program to develop and educate future cardiac surgeons.

Dr. Warner and his wife, Martha, a practicing anesthesiologist, reside in Needham, Mass., with their three children, Patrick, Audrey and Mary.

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I approach with the Holy Spirit leading me and leaving me with an open heart to receive the Father’s love. Scripture is his love letter to us.

I read slowly, one word at a time … stop and listen to what God is telling me. I can read the same verse many times, only to be surprised when it speaks to my heart.

WHEN PRAYING, I READ IT ALOUD. GOD’S WORD IS MEANT TO BE HEARD. I ASK THE HOLY SPIRIT TO LEAD ME TO THE WORD OR IMAGE THAT HE WANTS TO USE TO SHAPE MY HEART. - MSGR. PATRICK HALFPENNY, ST. PAUL ON THE LAKE PARISH, GROSSE POINTE FARMS

- PATTI MICHAELSON, OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL PARISH, PLYMOUTH

I START EACH DAY WITH THE DAILY MAGNIFICAT READINGS, FOLLOWED BY THE MASS READINGS. WITH THE NEW AMERICAN BIBLE ON MY SAME DEVICE, QUOTES THAT SEEM DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND ARE READILY FOUND AND CONTEXT IS PROVIDED. IT MAKES SCRIPTURE MUCH MORE UNDERSTANDABLE. -JAMES FLAHERTY, OUR LADY STAR OF THE SEA PARISH, GROSSE POINTE WOODS

I love to read God’s word in the morning. I light a candle to mark God’s time. Then I pray for the Holy Spirit to speak to me through the words I read. I read the Bible. And then I close by praying that God would use his word to guide me and to allow me to guide others to the heart of Jesus. It is amazing how often something happens — and I have the “right words” because I read the Bible that day.

- THOMAS GRAVES, ST. PAUL ON THE LAKE PARISH, GROSSE POINTE FARMS

With an open mind, an open heart and an honest desire to understand what God is telling me.

- RENEE BATES, ST. JOHN VIANNEY PARISH, SHELBY TOWNSHIP

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I APPROACH SACRED SCRIPTURE AS THE LIVING WORD OF GOD SPEAKING TO ME TODAY IN THE 21ST CENTURY AS IT DID TO THE BELIEVERS IN THE FIRST CENTURY. I FIND THAT EACH TIME I READ THE GOSPELS, PARTICULARLY, I FIND NEW MEANING WHICH I HADN’T REALIZED BEFORE. THE GOSPELS ARE A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION AND COMFORT TO ME, GIVING ME A WARM FEELING THAT OUR LORD JESUS IS WITH ME, WALKING WITH ME, NEXT TO ME. - PRATEEP GHOSE, ST. MARY, OUR LADY OF THE SNOWS PARISH, MILFORD

READING AND REFLECTION HAVE LED ME TO A SPIRITUAL RELATIONSHIP. A FAVORITE SCRIPTURE PASSAGE IS EXODUS 33:16-23 AND 34:5-9. MOSES’ RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD GOD OFFERS US A VEHICLE TO HAVE THE SAME RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, JESUS AND THE HOLY SPIRIT. WE EACH HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE AN INTIMATE FRIEND.

I approach the Scriptures with a deep appreciation for what I can learn from them. They are the word of God. Each passage can teach you something new depending on what is currently going on in your life. There is hope, wisdom and love to be gained from reading and rereading Scripture.

- JENNIFER MARHEINE, ST. DANIEL PARISH, CLARKSTON

- JEAN CORBAT, IMMACULATE CONCEPTION PARISH, IRA TOWNSHIP

HOW DO YOU APPROACH THE SCRIPTURES? Ever since I took the Oremus study and learned Lectio Divina, I have been using the daily readings in that fashion. This method of prayer intentionally slows me down, and the Lord never fails to give me one word or phrase from his Scriptures into my new day to ponder over, pray with and attempt to live well.

I really enjoy Lectio Divina. It allows me to be calm and absorb God’s message.

I feel that I am experiencing Scripture rather than reading it.

- SUSANNE KAIN, OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL PARISH, PLYMOUTH

- ANTHONY WHEELER, ST. MARY MAGDALEN PARISH, MELVINDALE

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PHOTO E SSAY

St. John Vianney Parish

Shelby Township

P EO PLE MAY TE LL YOU E VA NGELI ZATION IS DIFFICULT. F O LLO WI NG J ESUS IS UNR EA LI STIC AND TOO DEMA ND I NG. THE Y MAY POINT OU T T HAT THE CALL TO UNLEASH

THE GOSPEL AN D BE J OYFUL MI S SI O NA RY DISCIPLES IS OU T OF R EACH F OR THE AVERAGE P ERSO N. BUT WITHIN THE PAR I S H CO MMUNIT Y OF ST. J OHN V I A NNEY, DISCIPLESHIP S EEMS AT TAIN ABLE F OR E VERYO NE. FATHER TIM MAZUR, DEACO N MIKE HOUGHTON , T H E PA R I S H S TA F F A N D T H E V O LU N T E E R S A L L MODEL THE B EH AV I O R OF SPIRIT-FILLED MI S SI O NA RIES — AN D THE BO O MI NG PARISH F OLLO W S S U I T. T HE ATMOSPHERE CRE ATE D

BY T HE PA RISH COMMUN IT Y IS O NE O F WE LCOME AND B ELO NGI NG, PRAYER AND H OPE, JOY AND GRATITUDE. IT I S T HI S ATMOSPHE RE THAT DRA W S PE OPLE IN AND KE E PS TH E PA R I S H THRIVIN G AS AN E XA MPLE OF BEIN G “RADICAL LY MI S SI O N- ORIEN TED.”

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“A good shepherd, a pastor after God’s heart, is the greatest treasure which the good Lord can grant to a parish, and one of the most precious gifts of divine mercy.”

- St. John Vianney

NAOMI VRAZO, PHOTOGRAPHER

The church building is constructed of wood, brick and glass — a simplicity worthy of the Cure d’Ars himself. The simplicity does not give way to irreverence; rather, the prayer of the priest, the prayers of the people and the traditional accents of the faith maintain the sacred nature of the sanctuary and the sacrifice of the Mass.

The families who attend St. John Vianney describe the parish as “home,” “supportive” and a place where “God is truly present among his people.”

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On March 30, St. John Vianney’s incorrupt heart visited its parish namesake in the Archdiocese of Detroit. The “Heart of a Priest” national relic tour was sponsored by the Knights of Columbus and drew so many faithful that the lines stretched out the doors and visitors waited over an hour to see and venerate the relic.

No matter what time you enter the sanctuary, light streams through the glass section of the ceiling above the altar, highlighting the central point of the sanctuary: the altar around which the community gathers to share in the Eucharist.

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The young adults of St. John Vianney form a unique community named “F.I.G.H.T Club” (Following in God’s Holy Teachings) that gathers for weekly discussions, charity work, softball and various outings, like this cookout at Stony Creek Metropark.

Deacon Mike Houghton has been serving St. John Vianney for six years as a permanent deacon and shows boundless energy, greeting churchgoers on their way out of Mass with an authentic, joyfilled smile.

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An 11-foot-tall, 8-foot-wide wooden crucifix designed by parishioner Mary Dudek hangs in the sanctuary. “There is no better way to show God than the figure of his handiwork — the image of God when he became a man in the form of Christ,” Dudek says. The artist says her design is intended to show Jesus’ last breath on the cross, handing over his spirit to the Father.

“My little children, your hearts are small, but prayer stretches them and makes them capable of loving God. Through prayer we receive a foretaste of heaven and something of paradise comes down upon us ...

When we pray properly, sorrows disappear like snow before the sun.”

- St. John Vianney

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Father Tim Mazur, pastor of St. John Vianney since 2010, is a priest following in the footsteps of St. John Vianney — totally devoted to the heart of Jesus, to the care of his parish and parishioners and to offering the sacraments joyfully and frequently.

Part of the call of discipleship is to be generous with our means, and the response of the parishioners of St. John Vianney is evident in the donations that crowd the entry hallways, waiting to be delivered by the Knights of Columbus to a local food pantry.

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We welcome our family and iends to enjoy the beauty and peace of our newly dedicated Blessed Solanus Casey sections at Holy Sepulchre and La of Hope.

Our Lady

Blessed Solanus Casey spoke in a soo and quiet voice to all who came to him for help.

And he prayed. Some say his prayers cured illness. All say his serenity and counsel gave them peace. He was born into a family with simple faith. He maintained that simple faith all his years. In everything, Blessed Solanus Casey took God’s word to heart.

He believed every prayer is answered in God’s own way.