Unleash the Gospel Magazine: December 2019/January 2020

CHRIST IN OUR HOMES DECEMBER 2019 / JANUARY 2020 A MAGAZINE OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF DETROIT

DECEMBER 2019 / JANUARY 2020 VOLUME 1: ISSUE 5 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 ABOUT THE COVER AND CONTRIBUTORS

I L LU S T R ATO RS

Diego Diaz Mike Marshall

7 A MESSAGE FROM THE ARCHBISHOP

P HOTO GR A P HE RS

Marek Dziekonski Elizabeth Mahon Melissa Moon Joseph Skipinksi Naomi Vrazo Valaurian Waller CO N T R I B UT ING W RIT E RS

Kathleen M. Carroll Ashlie Dill Clara Fox Daniel Gallio Dr. Daniel Greene Dr. Mary Healy Debbie Herbeck Dr. Daniel Keating Michael King Casey McCorry Fr. Brian Meldrum Daniel Meloy Rachel Ullman Tony Ullman Carol Votaw James Matthew Wilson

FE ATU R E S 8

LIVING WITNESS The power of a nuclear family

16 REAL TALK What role did your family play in your faith journey?

P R AYE R 42 CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD St. Josemaría Escrivá 44 PRAYER 101 Prepare to celebrate!

48 PRAYING WITH THE CHURCH FATHERS St. Augustine on the good of marriage

D I S CI P LE S

20 CHRIST IN OUR HOMES PART 1 Marriage: A biblical perspective

50 FAMILY CHALL ENGE Something holy, something divine

24 CHRIST IN OUR HOMES PART 2 Christ and his bride, the Church

54 GOING DEEPER

What’s the right prayer style for you?

28 CHRIST IN OUR HOMES PART 3 Living the dream

56 PURSUING HOLINESS Rachel and Tony Ullmann

CU LTU R E

D E TR OI T

32 POETRY One Holy Night The Teachers

60 UNLEASHED QUESTIONNAIRE Dr. Daniel Greene

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

Elizabeth Martin Solsburg 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 FAC E BO O K, INSTAGRAM F O L LO W U S O N T W IT T E R: @utgdetroit AND Unleash the Gospel (USPS XXXXX) is a membership publication of the Archdiocese of Detroit, published bimonthly (June/July, Aug/Sept, Oct/Nov, Dec/Jan, Feb/Mar, April/May) by the Archdiocese of Detroit, 12 State Street, Detroit MI 48226-1823. Application to Mail at Periodicals Postage Pending in Detroit, MI and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Unleash the Gospel, 12 State Street, Detroit, MI 48226-1823. ©2019 Unleash the Gospel, Archdiocese of Detroit

34 SACRED PL ACES Stepping out in faith as a family 38 OUR HISTORY Las Posadas

62 #ASKUTG Who do you look to as a model of humility and discipleship?

64 PHOTO ESSAY St. Michael the Archangel Parish, Monroe

a lasting that Catholic It isLeave in giving welegacy. receive.

Spread the values Joy ofon the News through your giving.

Pass your to Good future generations by providing for The the Catholic Foundation will and helpinto youthe discern ministries you love today future.how to give joyfully in line with your values.

What will be your legacy?

This year, give a gift that lasts forever.

Are you interested in making a gift to provide perpetual support to a ministry you care about? We make it easy. Visit CatholicFoundationMichigan.org or call Angela at 248.204.0332 to learn more.

TO G ET TO K NO W OU R CONTRI B U TI NG WRI TERS S OME MORE, WE ASKED TH EM

What is your favorite Scripture passage? Why? KATHLEEN M. CA RROLL: My favorite Scripture passage is John 1:1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” As a writer, it helps me remember the power and significance of words.

A S HLI E D I LL: The story of the blind Bartimaeus (Mk 10:46-52) always brings tears to my eyes. It’s not just the healing miracle that I love, but Bartimaeus’ humility, trust and persistence, and Jesus, hearing the cry of the poor, responding tenderly to the deepest desires of Bartimaeus’ heart.

CL A RA F OX: “Be still, and know that I am God.” (Ps 46:10) This passage reminds me to take each anxiety or difficult moment as an opportunity to show my confidence in God. I know that he sets no limits to his favors, so my confidence should also be without limits.

DESIGNED BY MIKE MARSHALL

THE COVER “Families are at the very heart of our archdiocesan efforts to unleash the Gospel, because they are the first and most important setting in which evangelization takes place. The family is the ‘domestic church’ — the primary social unit in which life in Christ, the life of the Church, is experienced and lived. Through the sacrament of matrimony and through their love for one another, a husband and wife make visible the love between Christ and his Church.”

(Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron, Unleash the Gospel pastoral letter, Guidepost 7) The theme of this issue, Christ in Our Homes, focuses on the “domestic church.” For Catholic families, the home is the center of evangelization and catechesis. Our cover design illustrates how, as husbands, wives, children and extended family grow together in faith, Christ is always present among them.

DA N GA LLI O: To know the truth of the matter, and to be truly understood, are great desires of the heart. It makes sense, since these will be heaven’s reward: to “know fully” and to be “fully known,” as a result of seeing God “face to face,” all astounding promises in one poetic verse, 1 Corinthians 13:12.

D R. MA RY HEA LY : My favorite passage is Ephesians 3:14-21, because this magnificent prayer expresses all that God desires for us and is able to do in us. I pray it often for others and for myself: “I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named … ” (ESV) D EB RA HERB ECK : One that is very meaningful to me, as a Hebrew Catholic, is from Jeremiah 31:31-34. This passage expresses God’s promise to his people of a new covenant that will no longer be written on tablets of stone but on their hearts, to forgive their sins and to be their God. D R. DA NI EL K EATI NG : One of my favorite scripture passages is Psalm 34:2-5: “I will bless the Lord at all times ... Look to him, and be radiant.” In season and out of season, I find these lines speaking to me, calling me to praise and thank God, but also assuring me of God’s help and relief from my fears and troubles.

MI CHA EL K I NG : “Blessed is the man who perseveres in temptation, for when he has been proved he will receive the crown of life that he promised to those who love him.” (Jas 1:12) This verse reminds me that Christ is in me, that I participate in the victory of the kingdom of God and that there is an urgency and purpose to the battle.

FATHER B RI A N MELD RU M: I love the Scripture passages where we are told to be watchful, ready and alert. These days I am often praying with Mark 13:3536: “Watch, therefore; you do not know when the Lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning.

May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping.”

DA NI EL MELOY : Matthew 26:69-75, Peter’s denial of Jesus. It sums up the challenges and difficulties of discipleship, and how we all can fall. Peter later gets his chance at redemption in John’s Gospel, when Jesus asks him three times, “Do you love me?”

CA S EY MCCORRY : Luke 24:32: “Were not our hearts burning [within us] ... ?”

I love this line from the two disciples on the road to Emmaus after they realize that Christ, whose death they were mourning, was walking beside them the whole time. It’s my reminder during times of spiritual crisis or dryness when Christ seems distant that he is never truly gone.

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DEAR JOYFUL

MISSIONARY DISCIPLE! HE STORY OF SALVATION HISTORY RECORDED IN THE BIBLE IS, TO A GREAT EXTENT, THE STORY OF FAMILIES. THINK, F OR EXAMPLE, OF ABRAHAM AND SARAH, MOSES AND AARON, NAOMI AND RUTH. COMING FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS AND REGIONS, THEY STRUGGLED WITH RAISING FAITHFUL CHILDREN, DIFFICULT IN-L AW S AND FINANCIAL W OES. IN THEM, WE SEE OUR O WN JOURNEY — THEIR HOPES AND DREAMS, THEIR CHALLENGES AND HARDSHIPS. WE ARE ALSO INTRODUCED TO ANOTHER FAMILY IN A STABLE IN BETHLEHEM, THE HOLY FAMILY WE CELEBRATE DURING THE CHRISTMAS SEASON.

T

Strong, loving and joyful families are at the heart of our efforts to unleash the Gospel. Family life is an incubator of the faith. Here is where the faith is first taught, shared and lived. Families embody the Trinitarian love among the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, with every person having a necessary and particular role.

We cannot overemphasize the central role families have in passing the faith from one generation to the next. Parents serve as the first missionaries for their

“FAMILY LIFE IS AN INCUBATOR OF THE FAITH. HERE IS WHERE THE FAITH IS FIRST TAUGHT, SHARED AND LIVED.”

PAUL DUDA, PHOTOGRAPHER

children, taking on the sacred duty of helping them encounter our loving and merciful God. They make this choice when they bring their children to the church and ask for the sacrament of baptism.

They do not approach the baptismal font alone, however. Parents are accompanied by godparents for a sacrament witnessed by family — all individuals who will play important roles guiding these children in discerning their vocation to live the life for which God uniquely created them. Just as parents and family teach children to ride bikes or bake cookies, they also must share their life of discipleship by living the faith and teaching their children to love and serve Christ.

During this season of joy and anticipation, let us reflect on the Christ Child’s arrival. In peace and humility, God chose to enter our world as a baby

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

into the warm embrace of a poor family, welcomed and loved by his mother, Mary; St. Joseph, her husband; and grandparents St. Anne and St. Joachim. Just as the Holy Family opened their arms to the infant Jesus and educated him in the faith and traditions of the covenant with Israel, so too can we welcome Jesus into our homes and educate our families in the faith of the New Covenant.

As you read the articles in this issue, think about your family roles. Each of you makes a significant contribution, whether that be as husband, wife, child, grandparent or sibling — and beyond the nuclear family to aunts, uncles, cousins and godparents. I invite you to make an intentional commitment as you celebrate this holy season of the birth of our Savior to make your own family a grace-filled one in which God is known and loved.

May the seasons of Advent and Christmas bring great joy and peace to you and your family!

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LI VING WITNE SS

THE POWER OF A

NUCLEAR FAMILY 8

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THE CREATORS AT DISNEY PROBABLY DIDN’T FORESEE TOY STORY 4’S NEWEST CHARACTER, FORKY, SPARKING A 7 A.M. BREAKFAST CONVERSATION ABOUT THE EXISTENCE OF THE SOUL — ESPECIALLY AMONG FOUR CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 12 — BUT MOM NICOLE JOYCE WASN’T SURPRISED. UN L E A SH T H E G O SP E L. O R G |

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“WE ALWAYS GET DEEP THEOLOGICAL QUESTIONS WHEN EVERYONE IS EATING AND WE HAVE TO GO TO SCHOOL,” NICOLE SAYS, LAUGHING. “BUT WE TRY TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS AS THE QUESTIONS COME UP, AND WE TIE IT BACK TO SOMETHING THEY ARE CONNECTED WITH.”

The story of Forky, a plastic fork that becomes a “living” toy, is an important moment for Nicole’s kids to test their understanding of when God gives a newly formed person a soul, even if the analogy they use is a Disney-generated character — and the school bell is about to ring.

Nicole and her husband, Russell, have been married for 15 years and live in Madison Heights with their four children David (12), Ryan (10), Sean (8) and Angelina (5). The Catholic faith is a guiding force in their lives.

“We talk about evangelization, and it starts right with the family,” Rick Waligora, the children’s grandfather, says.

He and his wife, Judy, consider themselves lucky that each generation of their family practices the faith, but Nicole and Russell are quick to point out that Grandpa and Grandma are part of the reason.

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“My parents instilled in us the importance of keeping our faith as part of your daily life,” Nicole says.

“And that when you get married, you commit to raising your children in the Church.”

Russell says he’s hit the jackpot when it comes to in-laws. “My inlaws are just phenomenal people.

They are people that I aspire to be like. We are so blessed to have them in our lives.”

The three generations attend St. Vincent Ferrer Parish for Mass

every Sunday. The grandchildren also attend the parish’s weekly faith formation classes, where Judy is a hall monitor.

“Seeing your parents going to Mass is a big thing,” Russell says.

“But seeing your grandparents there, too — I hope that would help solidify to a kid that this is important, that this is something that I need to pay attention to in life.”

Rick and Judy live just three blocks from their grandchildren.

They play a huge role in their

CLARA FOX, WRITER • VALAURIAN WALLER, PHOTOGRAPHER

everyday lives, shuttling them to and from school, hosting game nights and watching movies with popcorn.

“It’s great,” Rick says. “Our lives just revolve around them.”

Nicole believes her children are picking up more than just good manners when they interact with their grandparents. “I think they’ve come to know Jesus’ love because they see it in how it’s expressed between everyone in our family,” she says.

HELPING ONE ANOTHER GROW But for this family, it’s more than just handing down the faith to the next generation. Each marriage has been an opportunity for the spouses to grow in their MY PARENTS own faith — or to reach a conversion.

INSTILLED IN US “When we were first THE IMPORTANCE married, my husband OF KEEPING OUR was stronger in the faith than I was,” Judy recalls.

FAITH AS PART OF “My family was leaving YOUR DAILY LIFE. the faith, and they were AND THAT WHEN going to nondenominational churches.”

YOU GET MARRIED, Judy says her husband YOU COMMIT TO helped her see the imRAISING YOUR portance of the Catholic faith. “And I give my CHILDREN IN husband credit for that, THE CHURCH.” because I think at one -NICOLE JOYCE point back years ago, I could have left.”

For Russell, marrying Nicole meant he participated in marriage prep courses through the church and attended Sunday Mass with her, but he wasn’t Catholic. He says initially he felt “indifferent” about the faith, although he would often ask his wife questions and read books to get a more in-depth answer to questions he had.

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THE FULLER, RICHER TRUTH IS THAT MARRIED COUPLES ARE TAKING ON THE RESPONSIBILITY TO REPRESENT GOD’S LOVE FOR HIS CHURCH THROUGH YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR SPOUSE.” -NICOLE JOYCE

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“She was very good with not pressuring me,” Russell says about Nicole. “But my own curiosity began to pique.”

He read Scott Hahn’s Rome Sweet Home, which he says answered a lot of questions. “The way he presented the arguments, it just fell into place so easily, one after another,” Russell says.

The turning point in Russell’s conversion took place shortly after he started joining the Communion line to receive a blessing at Mass on Sunday. Although he always crossed his arms, one time the parish priest held up the Eucharist anyway.

“He reached down in the chalice and held the host up to me, and he held it there for a second,” Russell

says. “And I remember thinking, ‘I want that.’ I think it was an ‘I believe’ moment.”

Later that day after lunch, Russell says, “I told Nicole, I think I’m ready to join RCIA, and I walked out of the room.” He laughs and says, “She claims I dropped this huge bomb on her nonchalantly. But it was 10 years in the making, and that was just the last piece of the puzzle. That was the final piece that I needed personally.”

Russell joined the Church about five years ago, and he gives the bulk of the credit to his wife. “Most of my conversion was her answering my questions,” he says. “The term ‘soulmate’ gets thrown around a lot, but I truly believe that I found my soulmate.”

THE PURPOSE OF MARRIAGE Nicole says every marriage should be “an expression to the world of how much God loves us.”

Nicole’s job as the Natural Family Planning coordinator for the Archdiocese of Detroit means she talks about the purpose of marriage to newly engaged couples, married couples and even seminarians.

It means a lot to Nicole to be able to help couples practice responsible parenting, stressing that responsible parenting will look different for everyone. “In the past, a lot of people thought that meant we had to have 15 to 20 kids,” Nicole says.

“So, there’s a misunderstanding about what it means to be open to life, but I think the fuller, richer truth is that married couples are taking on the responsibility to represent God’s love for his Church through your relationship with your spouse.”

A STARTING POINT Nicole’s work at the archdiocese goes back to Archbishop Allen Vigneron’s Unleash the Gospel initiative.

“The biggest thing that the archbishop is trying to say is that if we are going to change the actual DNA of the Church, then we have to look at who makes up the Church, and the bulk of the Church is families,” Nicole says.

This focus on the family means that the archdiocese is ramping up faith-formation classes that actually work for a family’s schedule, creating opportunities to learn Natural Family Planning and emphasizing the importance of daily prayer within the family.

Nicole’s one word of advice to families and couples is to pray.

“Start wherever you feel most comfortable,” she says.

“Just start, even if you just start

with a blessing on your kid’s forehead before they leave the house — even if you just start with saying grace before meals. Start somewhere. And if you do that earnestly, and you do that with an open heart, God will change you.”

After all, the next generation is counting on you to hand on the faith.

CLARA FOX writes from California where she contributes to Angelus News.

[EVERY MARRIAGE SHOULD BE] AN EXPRESSION TO THE WORLD OF HOW MUCH GOD LOVES US.” -NICOLE JOYCE

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RE A L TA LK

Family has always been at the heart of my faith. When I was young, my parents taught me the importance of Mass and Catholic education, helping to keep Jesus and Mary at the center of my life. My brother and I know our parents pray for us every day, and they continue to encourage us to grow in our prayer lives and faith communities as young adults.

God has used the gift of travel to connect our family and grow in faith. Together as a family, we get to walk where the saints have walked, making holy sites a priority on each adventure. We asked for the intercession of St. Thérèse in Lisieux, journeyed with the spirit of Pope St. John Paul II through Kraków and the Tatra Mountains in Poland, felt the deep peace in Assisi where St. Francis lived out his vocation boldly and witnessed the richness and beauty of the Catholic Church in Rome. We get to see the beauty of faith from a global perspective, which helps us see that we are part of a much greater family.

- BETH ALLISON, ST. PAUL ON THE LAKE, GROSSE POINTE

WHAT ROLE DID YOUR My dad has always been an integral part of my faith, making sure we went to Mass every Sunday. I never realized it when I was growing up, but he was passing down something he knew my brothers and I would need. By the time I was in college, I felt I had a strong faith. Then, my mom was diagnosed with cancer.

Eventually, my mom passed away, and I felt lost. Dad was always there with an open invitation to Sunday Mass. There were times when I felt distant from God, but that’s when I realized that I needed him the most.

Dad was the one who encouraged me to do charitable work for the PIME Missionaries, as he had attended their school years ago; he knew it would be beneficial for me spiritually. As my wife and I begin to plan our future as a family, I can’t help but think about passing on what I learned from my dad to my children.

- PATRICK CARROLL, ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL PARISH, LIVONIA

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FAMILY

PLAY IN YOUR

My mother played a large part in my faith journey that started all the way from Spain.

Though I was born here, my mother wanted me to be baptized where she grew up. So, at 3 years old, I was baptized at Parroquia San Fortunato in La Fortuna, just outside of Madrid. It was so important to her to have my journey start there. She and my father worked multiple jobs to put us through St. Sebastian in Dearborn Heights and later, Allen Park Cabrini High School.

They understood the value of a Catholic education and values that have helped me not only start my faith journey but also get back on the journey when life became extremely challenging.

- ROGELIO CASTILLO, STE. ANNE DE DETROIT, DETROIT

FAITH JOURNEY? Oh, an amazing role! Both my parents were practicing Catholics and had a positive outlook on the Catholic faith.

We lived right by the church and were often called upon for errands at the church. My mom was part of the Ladies Club and different committees.

The church was very much a spiritual home for us. It was St. John Cantius in southwest Detroit.

Displaced families would come over in the ’50s, and each parish that could took a family or two in. So my parents offered housing to a family — they had three little girls. … So, religion was very alive to us.

- SISTER ROSE MARIE, FELICIAN SISTERS, LIVONIA

MELISSA MOON, PHOTOGRAPHER

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My family has played such a vital role in my faith journey.

My grandmother showed her faith through prayer, the Rosary, and devotion to Jesus, and set the roots of my own faith. My parents sacrificed to send me and my siblings to Catholic school as they planted the seeds through love and faith. It was there I was so blessed to meet my husband. He inspires me daily as we continue to grow in our faith. And my motherin-law was always the nurturer of faith through family traditions and relationships and being so selfless.

It was a great joy to celebrate the sacraments as my children grew into adults and to see the blessings of their own faith. And now, having a brand new granddaughter and loving this new life more than one can imagine continually reminds me of God’s greatest gift of love for us. I hope and pray that I can continue to share my love of Jesus with her and watch her grow in her own faith journey!

- CHERYL KONDRAT, GUARDIAN ANGELS CATHOLIC CHURCH, CLAWSON

I grew up in poverty. I was the first to graduate high school and was a firstgeneration college graduate. In my early adulthood, I had my first child — the miracle of motherhood was my first true encounter of Christ. Being a single parent and losing my mother suddenly when she was only 50 years old drew me closer to God, and God revealed my husband to me after being friends for 10 years. In recent years, I prayed specifically for twin girls, and that prayer was answered. God blessed me with my fourth child only a year after the twins. I was brought to the faith by my son attending Catholic school as well.

- CHRISTINA HALL, CHURCH OF THE DIVINE CHILD, DEARBORN

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CHRIST IN OUR HOMES PART 1

The story of salvation is a story of spousal love.

FROM BEGINNING TO END, THE BIBLE IS ONE GREAT LOVE STORY. THE VERY FIRST HUMAN WORDS IN SCRIPTURE ARE ADAM’S OUTBURST OF JOY AT SEEING EVE, HIS BRIDE, FOR THE FIRST TIME: “THIS ONE, AT LAST, IS BONE OF MY BONES AND FLESH OF MY FLESH!” (GN 2:23) THE LAST WORDS QUOTED IN SCRIPTURE EXPRESS THE CHURCH’S LONGING FOR THE COMING OF CHRIST, HER HEAVENLY BRIDEGROOM: “THE SPIRIT AND THE BRIDE SAY, COME!” (RV 22:17) IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BIBLE IS THE SONG OF SONGS, A MYSTICAL POEM ABOUT THE ROMANCE BETWEEN GOD AND HIS PEOPLE. FROM THE GARDEN OF EDEN TO THE ETERNAL WEDDING FEAST OF THE LAMB, THE STORY OF SALVATION IS A STORY OF SPOUSAL LOVE. 20

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It is no wonder God takes marriage very seriously.

The Book of Genesis reveals that God established marriage from the beginning as an essential part of his plan for human beings. On the day he created man and woman, God gave them the very first commandment: “Be fertile and multiply” (Gn 1:28); that is, come together in a physical union that reflects a personal union on every level of their being — a union so potent that it will be the way new human life is generated.

Genesis 2 teaches the same truth in a different way.

God first creates the man, then remarks, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suited to him.” This affirms what we already know instinctively: Human beings are made for relationship. We cannot flourish without love.

God then forms a woman from Adam’s rib and brings her to him like the father of the bride. When Adam sees Eve, it is a moment of self-discovery. He recognizes that she is his equal, a person like himself, to whom he can give himself as a gift. Yet she is not a mere replica; she and he have physical differences that are evidently designed for union. Anatomically, hormonally, emotionally and psychologically, they are perfectly complementary.

The woman, unlike the animals, can receive and freely reciprocate Adam’s gift of himself, and they can form a covenant of love that is faithful, fruitful and lifelong.

Their covenant of self-giving love is expressed and enacted in their sexual union, when the two become “one body.” (Gn 2:24) So why is Eve called Adam’s “helper” — because she is supposed to cook and clean for him? In fact, the Bible uses the word “helper” most often for God himself (see, for example, Psalms 54:6). The woman is the man’s helper because she helps him fulfill the deepest purpose of his life: to give himself in love. They both help each other realize that the very meaning of their existence is to be a gift.

DR. MARY HEALY, WRITER • MIKE MARSHALL, ILLUSTRATOR

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WHAT WENT WRONG? But as we look at our own lives and the lives of those around us, we may well wonder: What went wrong?

Why is the reality so different from this idealistic biblical vision? We all know marriages that don’t look like this ideal, but more like an ordeal. We all know marriages where “the two become one” — and then spend their time fighting over which one! Why is there so much brokenness in marriages and families?

Genesis 3 reveals that the answer lies in the sin of our first parents. Instead of trusting and obeying the God who created them, they gave in to the seduction of the serpent and foolishly chose to be their own gods.

Immediately, they began to experience the tragic fallout from their sin, which continues among their descendants to this day.

The first consequence was a loss of sexual innocence: “They knew that they were naked.” They intuitively recognized that it was possible to look at a human body in isolation from the person — to see someone as a sexual object to be exploited, rather than a person to be loved. Sexuality could then be distorted as a means of self-gratification rather than self-gift: love twisted into lust. Sexual union, instead of being the bodily expression of a covenant of faithful spousal love, was then liable to be misused as simply a recreational activity. Sin also brought conflict into the relationship between husband and wife: Instead of mutual self-giving love, there would be tendencies toward distrust and disunity, exploitation and dominance. (Gn 3:12, 16) But God did not leave them in this terrible plight.

Immediately he gave them a promise of salvation: One day, the “seed of the woman” would crush the head of the enemy. (Gn 3:15) This promise was fulfilled in Jesus, the son of the new Eve, who broke the curse of sin by his cross and resurrection. Death has been destroyed, Satan conquered and human beings reconciled to God. We are no longer slaves to the hardness of heart, lust, anger, jealousy and other destructive effects of sin that lead to breakdown in marriage. In Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, there is a new power available to live and experience what God intended from the beginning.

DR. MARY HEALY is professor of Scripture at Sacred Heart Major Seminary and a best-selling author. She is a general editor of the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture and author of two of its volumes, The Gospel of Mark and Hebrews. Her other books include Healing and Men and Women Are from Eden. Dr. Healy is chair of the Doctrinal Commission of Catholic Charismatic Renewal International Service (CHARIS) in Rome. She was appointed by Pope Francis as one of the first three women ever to serve on the Pontifical Biblical Commission.

THE GREAT MYSTERY Through the biblical prophets, God unveiled the deeper significance of marriage. Marriage is not just a social convention; it is a holy, God-given vocation, meant to be the earthly image of the love between God and his people. “For your husband is your Maker, the LORD of hosts is his name.” (Is 54:5) God’s love is that of a faithful bridegroom passionately in love with his bride.

For this reason, God warns that the breakdown of the family has grave consequences. Those who experience divorce, especially children, often have great difficulty in believing in the faithful, unconditional love of God. Divorce also impairs a couple’s ability to raise the next generation as God’s holy people: “What does the One require? Godly offspring! You should be on guard, then, for your life, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. For I hate divorce, says the LORD.” (Mal 2:15-16) In the New Testament, Jesus showed his esteem for marriage by being present at the wedding at Cana and performing there his first miracle, turning water into wine. (Jn 2:1-11) St. Paul explains the full significance that Christ has given to marriage: “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the Church and handed himself over for her to sanctify her.” (Eph 5:25–26) The ultimate model for spousal love is Jesus’ own death on the cross.

In giving up his life for us, he espoused the Church in an irrevocable bond. His gift is radical and total; it is all that God could give of himself to his people. This is why Paul calls marriage “the great mystery” — the visible sign of the invisible mystery of God’s love. (Eph 5:32) These passages are the foundation for the Church’s teaching that marriage is a sacrament, a source of grace for the couple, as well as their children and friends.

Some couples print this verse on their wedding program: “Jesus also was invited to the marriage.” (Jn 2:2) What happens when Jesus is invited right into the center of a marriage? It will have strength from heaven to withstand the ups and downs, temptations and trials that are part of life in this world.

MARRIAGE IS NOT JUST A SOCIAL CONVENTION; IT IS A HOLY, GOD-GIVEN VOCATION, MEANT TO BE THE EARTHLY IMAGE OF THE LOVE BETWEEN GOD AND HIS PEOPLE.”

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CHRIST IN OUR HOMES PART 2

The crucifix is the how-to manual for married life.

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DURING MY WEDDING CEREMONY, MORE THAN 26 YEARS AGO, I WAS GIVEN A CRUCIFIX BY THE PRESIDING PRIEST. IN OUR FAMILY, WE OFTEN JOKED THAT, THERE WE WERE, LEAVING THE CHURCH, MY WIFE FILLED WITH JOY AND ME CARRYING THE CRUCIFIX — OH, AND FILLED WITH JOY, TOO. Though I understood the relationship of Christ and his Church as bride and groom, and that this was the life and mission my wife and I were entering into, what I did not realize was the profound relationship between the crucifix, the Lord’s presence and the Eucharist in the marital bond. Therefore, let’s consider the image of bride and groom from Scripture, and then I’ll share a personal experience in which loving my wife “even as Christ loved the Church” (Eph 5:25) took on new meaning in my marriage.

MARRIAGE AND SCRIPTURE Marriage is one of the central images of the relationship between God and his people. In fact, the Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “sacred Scripture begins with the creation of man and woman in the image and likeness of God and concludes with a vision of ‘the wedding-feast of the Lamb.’” (1602) One of my favorite stories is of Jesus’ first miracle at a marriage in Cana. (Jn 2:1-12) Here the wine runs out, and Jesus turns water into the best wine for the celebration. Where there once was a shortage, now abundance is present. This act of Jesus was unexpected and rich in meaning,

and it becomes accessible to our understanding through the mystery of marriage. You could say there were two marriages occurring in Cana that day: the couple’s union and the marriage of Jesus to his bride, the Church, as he was on the threshold of his public life. Jesus’ presence transformed that Cana marriage just as it would have an unexpected impact on my own marriage.

As I was studying for my master’s degree in theology, I loved to sit and read through Church documents and Scripture, getting lost and wrapped up in the mystery of our faith. It was wonderful. I’d often go into our bedroom and study, pray and read for hours.

My wife, though very supportive, did not like that I was often locked away in a separate room at home.

She would “check in on me” and suggest that I come out and study at the dining room table. For me, the dining room was filled with distractions. Besides, why would I leave this wonderful cell with the Lord?

However, after many not-so-subtle requests, I decided to give in and haul my stuff out to the dining room to set up shop.

I thought my wife would hang out with me or be close to me, or even want to share in what I was studying. No, she was on the move.

Cleaning and cooking, upstairs and

downstairs, in and out of the room.

OK, so what was going on here? I decided to take all this to prayer and asked the Lord, “What is my bride asking of me?” What I received in prayer was the word “presence.”

What my wife was asking of me was that I be more present to her, something she was missing while I was hidden away. At the dining room table, she was experiencing my presence — and she was so happy!

A CATHOLIC LOOK Let’s take a Catholic look at what the Lord was showing me relative to the image of Christ as bridegroom pouring out his life for his bride.

What I came to understand through more prayer was my bride (like the Church) was longing to have a meaningful connection or a more significant union (communion) with me, her groom (like Jesus).

Since we are made for each other, called to be one, the gift of love calls one to the other to be in union and not separated. My wife and I share in the love restored by Christ from the ultimate separation, original sin.

Jesus restores love and new life for his bride from the cross, where from his side water and blood — a sign of baptism and Eucharist — flow. The Church is born renewed, and we enter into a new union with God like bride and groom.

SINCE WE ARE MADE FOR EACH OTHER, THE GIFT OF LOVE CALLS ONE TO THE OTHER TO BE IN UNION AND NOT SEPARATED.”

MICHAEL KING, WRITER • MIKE MARSHALL, ILLUSTRATOR

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Taking this analogy a little further, consider that I found myself at our dining room table. The dining room table is a type of altar in the domestic church. It is where we gather for a meal, pray, share stories and create traditions. This is similar to the eucharistic altar (table) in the church. So there I sat being a type of eucharistic presence (like Jesus in the tabernacle) so my wife could experience our love (really God’s love through me) through my simple presence at our domestic altar. The Lord was showing me another way to love my wife as he loves his bride.

St. Paul goes even deeper and states it this way: “Husbands, love your wives,

even as Christ loved the Church and handed himself over for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with the word, that he might present to himself the Church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” (Eph 5:2127) The bride of Christ is his Church, and through his life, death and resurrection, Jesus became the living embodiment of the bridegroom and a faithful husband who was willing to give up his life for the one he loved.

From the cross, we see the Lord sanctify his bride, showing what love is, and then through the saving work on the cross, he promises to always be present to her: “I am with you

always, until the end of the age.”

(Mt 28:20) What bride could stand to be separated from such a groom?

As a husband, not only will I lay down my life like Christ for my bride, but I’m also called to be present and in communion with her, just like Jesus and the Church. This is one of the reasons why Sunday and Mass are so critical, for the groom desires to be in communion with his bride, and the bride needs to be in communion with her spouse.

What an amazing God we have to love us so much. I was given a crucifix by the priest the day I was married, and what I didn’t fully understand is that the crucifix is the how-to manual for married life.

MICHAEL KING works in the Office of Evangelization for the Archdiocese of Detroit. He has been married for 26 years to his lovely wife, Shawn, and they have three children who are now young adults, themselves seeking marriage and deeper faith.

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CHRIST IN OUR HOMES PART 3

Living the dream

THE GOALS OF MARRIAGE ARE HOLY AND LOFT Y. SO, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN F OR THE

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THIRTY-THREE YEARS AGO, UNITED IN THE SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE, PETER AND I BEGAN AN EXCITING AND MYSTERIOUS ADVENTURE. WE CHARTED A COURSE FOR OUR LIFE THAT WASN’T BASED ON ROMANTIC FEELINGS OR WISHFUL THINKING. ALTHOUGH WE HAD FINANCIAL, CAREER AND FAMILY GOALS, WE HAD ONE PRINCIPAL AIM THAT INFORMED THE REST. OUR DEEPEST DESIRE WAS TO LIVE WITH GOD FOREVER AND TO HELP EACH OTHER, OUR FAMILY AND THOSE GOD PLACED IN OUR LIVES TO GET TO HEAVEN. THIS OBJECTIVE MAY SOUND CLICHÉ, ABSTRACT OR IN THE VERY DISTANT FUTURE, BUT IT IS ACTUALLY CONCRETE AND PRACTICAL, LIVED OUT EACH DAY IN THE CONTEXT OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY LIFE.

DEBBIE HERBECK has worked extensively in youth and women’s ministry, led retreats and mission trips and mentored high school and college-aged women for more than 35 years. Debra, who came to the Church from the Jewish faith, has authored four books and is a frequent writer for Blessed is She, an online community for Catholic women. Debra and her husband, Peter, have four young adult children and seven grandchildren and live in Ann Arbor.

“ The Christian home is the place where children receive the first proclamation of the faith. For this reason, the family home is rightly called ‘the domestic church,’ a community of grace and prayer, a school of human virtues and of Christian charity … It is a community of faith, hope, and charity.”

“ The Christian family is a communion of persons, a sign and image of the communion of the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit. In the procreation and education of children it reflects the Father’s work of creation.

It is called to partake of the prayer and sacrifice of Christ. Daily prayer and the reading of the Word of God strengthen it in charity.” (CCC, 2205) “The family is the original cell of social life. The family is the community in which, from childhood, one can learn moral values, begin to honor God, and make good use of freedom. Family life is an initiation into life in society.”

(CCC, 1666, 2204)

(CCC, 2207)

The family is the primary social unit in which life in Christ and the life of the Church are experienced and lived.

Therefore, the Church refers to the family as the domestic church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church beautifully describes the Christian family and our role as parents:

“ Parents are the principal and first educators of their children. In this sense, the fundamental task of marriage and family is to be at the service of life.”

(CCC, 1653)

“ The home is the first school of Christian life and ‘a school for human enrichment.’ Here one learns endurance and the joy of work, fraternal love, generous — even repeated — forgiveness, and above all divine worship in prayer and the offering of one’s life.”

(CCC, 1657)

DEBBIE HERBECK, WRITER • MIKE MARSHALL, ILLUSTRATOR

UNDER THE LORDSHIP OF JESUS This vision of the family as the domestic church is an inspiring and noble ideal. Yet as we began to have children and we faced our own inadequacies, the demands of daily life and the challenges of a post-Christian culture, this call seemed overwhelming and unattainable.

We decided to focus on two fundamental principles for our domestic church that have helped us live out the call of evangelization and discipleship.

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First and foremost, we began our married life by putting our marriage under the lordship of Jesus, and we continue to do this daily because we know that “unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build.” (Ps 127:1) Five years into my marriage, I realized that physical attraction, common interests and emotions — all parts of the house, but not the foundation — would not be enough to sustain and deepen a marriage. Father Thomas Dubay wrote: “It takes conversion to be able to love another, it takes deep conversion to love that person deeply.”

The foundation for deep marital and familial love is Jesus Christ. We put our individual lives under the lordship of Jesus, and he (not my spouse) is my only savior. The spiritual leadership and formation of our family flowed from a life of discipleship in which we were both striving to seek first the kingdom of God and “to please him, whether we are at home or away.” (2 Cor 5:9) Our time, money, possessions, talents, friendships, sexual relationship, children, extended family, the past, present and future all belong to Christ.

There were practical implications.

We were committed to daily personal prayer and supporting each other in our spiritual growth. Our trust in God and each other was expressed by practicing Natural Family Planning and obeying the teachings of the Church. And although we didn’t always agree on everything, our desire to live as disciples and the common goal to evangelize our kids oriented our decisions. Weekly Mass attendance, reception of the sacraments,

family meals, daily prayer and learning to give and receive forgiveness were just some of the non-negotiables that helped our family life reflect the domestic church.

Ultimately, living under the lordship of Jesus meant we were not free to make it up as we went along, to do it our own way or concede to the cultural norms, even if it seemed easier.

FOCUSED ON FAMILY FIRST Although Peter and I have been actively involved in ministry and evangelization in the Church our whole married life, we recognized early on that our mission begins at home — our own family is our primary field of evangelization. Quite honestly, though, we had to fight hard to keep our focus and efforts there. I remember times as a young mother when I struggled to balance the demands of home life and a desire to be “doing more for God.” One day in prayer, Jesus spoke clearly to my heart: “If you evangelize the whole world, and your own children don’t have the opportunity to know me, you haven’t done your job as their mother.”

As our family grew, we shaped and expressed our domestic mission at home in four concrete ways.

1. We tried to live our faith as authentically and consistently as possible.

Our relationships with Jesus are personal but never private. Our children saw us taking daily prayer time, studying the Scriptures, facing trials with hope and treating each other with love, honor and respect.

OUR DEEPEST DESIRE WAS TO LIVE WITH GOD FOREVER AND TO HELP EACH OTHER, OUR FAMILY AND THOSE GOD PLACED IN OUR LIVES TO GET TO HEAVEN.”

2. As the principal educators, we learned how to transmit and incarnate the truths of the faith. We wove together the customs and traditions of my Jewish heritage and the Catholic liturgical year, and our family developed a rhythm of life and a unique identity as Herbecks. Although our children attended Catholic schools and youth groups, we were careful not to abdicate our role to others. As our kids entered adolescence and began to ask questions and push boundaries, we tried not just to dispense rules but to help them understand the reason behind them and to eventually take personal ownership of them.

3. We invited faith-filled people into our home whom our kids saw as attractive, credible witnesses.

We cultivated friendships with Catholic families and regularly invited them to join us for Saturday evening meals and prayers, brunch after Mass or backyard games.

4. We tried to remember that we were not just raising kids, we were making disciples. We knew that if we didn’t intentionally and actively evangelize our kids, the culture would quickly replace us as the loudest and most influential voice in their lives.

As our children grew, we provided opportunities for them to encounter Christ personally and grow in their faith through junior high camps, mission trips, service, Bible studies and youth events. It often meant sacrifices of time, money and energy, but it was always worth it as we watched them take ownership of their faith and begin to lead others.

Today, our four children are faithfilled Catholic young adults, and some are married and raising their own families now. As we begin this new chapter of our domestic church life, it is a joy and a blessing to witness the continuing legacy of faith and love that we began many years ago. We still have the same end in sight: to help one another and our family know the love of Jesus and arrive safely home.

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POETRY

ONE

HOLY NIGHT

BY CARO L VOTA W Carol Votaw is a piano teacher, children’s book author and freelance writer. She lives in Rochester Hills and is a member of St. Andrew’s Catholic Church.

One peaceful eve … a gentle breeze flowed down from the mountains a warmth swept over the valleys and soft as morning light a presence filled all the spaces … between branches and leaves between clouds and waves between stars and moon until everywhere became new One holy night …

Christ was born in Bethlehem.

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DIEGO DIAZ, ILLUSTRATOR

THE

TEACHERS

BY J A M ES MATTHEW WI LS ON James Matthew Wilson has published nine books, including, most recently, The River of the Immaculate Conception (Wiseblood, 2019). His essays and reviews appear regularly in The Catholic Thing and Catholic World Report.

A father’s rough hands, hung with fingers laced, Are all the eye may ever learn of prayer; The young ear in the settling dark feels graced To hear those notes a mother’s lips can spare.

And every wildness of our fallen state Comes crying from the child wrenched from sleep, Such wounds as by long discipline abate And leave the old man’s silence calm and deep.

Even the flit of time instructs the mind As it bears in and out each tempered tone — The brightening early shoot, the ripened rind — Before wind-scoured ice can raise its moan.

These figures can so make the conscience ring That speech, which follows, seems a poor, dumb thing.

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SACRE D PL ACES

STEPPING OUT IN FAITH AS A FAMILY

Kadeli family from left to right: Peter, Gjon, Mrika, Lek, Elizabeth, Ellen.

A PILGRIMAGE ON THE CAMINO DE SANTIAGO BECOMES AN EXPERIENCE OF BONDING, DETERMINATION AND LOVING SELF-SACRIFICE BEFORE THE MOVIE PROJECTOR STOPPED FLICKERING, HE KNEW WHAT HE WOULD DO. IN THAT NORTHERN VIRGINIA THEATER IN SUMMER 2012, HE PLEDGED THAT IN THE COMING FALL, GOD WILLING, HE WOULD WALK THE CAMINO DE SANTIAGO. ANOTHER IDEA, EVEN MORE EXTRAORDINARY, BEGAN TO FLICKER IN THE IMAGINATION OF LEK KADELI THAT DAY.

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Cape Finisterra, a peninsula on the west coast of Galicia, Spain. The name comes from the Latin finis terrae, meaning “end of the earth.” Many pilgrims continue their journey after Santiago for rest and relaxation at the shore.

If schedules could be worked out, someday he would walk the camino with his family: wife Ellen, daughters Mrika and Elizabeth, and sons Peter and Gjon.

It seems heaven was willing on both counts. Lek completed his first camino three months later, in November 2012. And the entire Kadeli family made its own pilgrimage six months later, May through June 2013.

There were struggles along the way — a religious pilgrimage is no vacation after all. But every difficulty was dwarfed by abundant blessings for each member of the family.

DANIEL GALLIO, WRITER

A ‘VERY COOL’ IDEA Lek Kadeli “got the bug” to walk the medieval pilgrimage route across northern Spain while watching the movie The Way with Ellen, Elizabeth, then 13, and Mrika, then 20. The Way tells the story of a father who travels to Spain to claim the body of his estranged son, who had died on the camino. The father completes the 500-mile journey in place of his son — and in honor of him.

Before leaving for Spain on that first solo pilgrimage, Lek tested the family pilgrimage idea with Elizabeth.

Looking back now, Elizabeth laughs at her childlike exuberance at the time.

“The idea of going to Spain was very cool to me,” she recalls. “I was going to do this with my dad no matter what my siblings were going to do!”

Ellen was unsure about the proposal, especially considering Elizabeth’s longstanding fight with Crohn’s Disease, a chronic affliction of the digestive tract. What if she had flare-ups on the road?

But Elizabeth had another take on her illness — a courageous one.

“I have spent a lot of my life in the hospital getting basic treatment,” she says. “I felt if I am able to do the camino with my family, it would be a nice symbol of my fearlessness, of what I have had to overcome.”

CAMINO MIRACLES From that point on, Ellen and Lek engaged in much prayer of discernment. Pilgrims often talk about experiencing “camino miracles,” out-of-the-blue occurrences that are hard to explain naturally. The first camino miracle for the Kadeli family was Elizabeth’s health significantly improving over the winter. A second miracle: Gjon’s summer job was delayed at the last minute, and he was able to make the trip.

“I felt like the Lord started opening doors. We seemed to jump over one obstacle after another,” Ellen explains.

“It was becoming clear to us the family pilgrimage was a gift from the Lord.”

The family decided that Ellen, Elizabeth and Mrika would do the shorter route to Santiago. They would begin in Sarria and hike the final 60 miles through rocky Galicia to Santiago, thereby earning the compostela, the certificate of completion awarded by the Pilgrim’s Office.

Peter and Gjon, both in their early 20s at the time, would join Lek in taking on the camino starting on the French side of the Pyrenees. After three weeks of hard hiking, they would meet the Kadeli women in Sarria. From there the family would walk into Santiago as a unit.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY THE KADELI FAMILY

From left to right: Mrika, Ellen, Elizabeth.

Outside the pilgrims office in Sarria where the Kadeli women began their journey.

YOU MAY BE IN PAIN. YOU MAY BE SLOWER THAN OTHER PEOPLE. YOU WILL JUST HAVE TO RELY ON OTHER PEOPLE FOR SUPPORT.” -ELIZABETH KADELI UN L E A SH T H E G O SP E L. O R G |

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A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THE CAMINO ARE BROKEN. TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LISTEN. AND BE OPEN TO GOD SPEAKING TO YOU THROUGH OTHER PEOPLE.” -PETER KADELI LESSONS LEARNED FROM STRUGGLE

SPLENDOR OF CATHOLIC CULTURE “One camino miracle was being able to spend such extended time with my sons,” Lek shares. “We would walk together, have quiet conversation, then separate a bit. Seeing them meet people from all over the world, I actually saw my sons grow and mature as men.”

Another reward was “experiencing Catholic faith and history.” The Kadeli men marveled at the ancient cultural reminders — the wayside shrines to the Virgin; the elegant ruins of monasteries; the centuries-old refugios, or hostels, that still shelter tired pilgrims; the Gothic cathedrals in Burgos and Leon — that testify to how Catholicism once imbued and elevated European society.

The artistic beauty was so profound for Lek that “there were times that I experienced tears,” he says, especially once while praying before a brutalized and bloody Christ on the cross.

One roadside chapel, whose interior shimmered like gold, bespoke the “dedication of the people of the time to create a place of worship that takes your breath away,” says Peter, now a graduate student at the University of Michigan. Gjon appreciated these glorious examples of Catholic culture in spite of pesky tendinitis in his Achilles tendons.

“But he stuck in there,” Lek says with admiration, even though “one went bad and then the other went bad. But he would not stop, although he limped a good bit of the way.”

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The Kadeli women were blessed with insightful experiences as well, and they were not immune to the travails of the trail, either.

“My dad had just passed away and I was reflecting a lot about him,” says Ellen, whose memories were often prompted by passing through primitive farming settlements. “He grew up on a dairy farm in Vermont. The livestock, the agricultural ways of Galicia, they made me think of my dad and his family.”

She adds: “I felt like the Lord did this for me, allowing me to grieve the loss of my dad.”

Ellen recalls another touching episode, when Gjon and Peter took Ellen and Mrika’s backpacks, strapped them onto their backs and generously hauled them to the next refugio.

One problem, though: The women’s water bottles were still in the packs! That created a potentially dangerous situation on a hot day.

But, says Ellen, “We prayed the Rosary; we sang songs. We really had to fortify each other to get to where we needed to be.”

Elizabeth remembers how her Crohn’s symptoms did flare up once — “I was in so much pain I couldn’t move.” To this day, she is astounded by the kindness of some passing pilgrims.

“These pilgrims came by — they actually offered to carry me to the next town,” she says. For Elizabeth, the selflessness she encountered from total strangers and her own loving family “was the beginning of my finding some answers to the mystery of suffering.”

“You may be in pain. You may be slower than other people. You will just have to rely on other people for support.”

FAMILY OF FELLOW PILGRIMS

GO FOR IT!

On a sunny morning in June, the Kadeli family reached their goal, standing side by side in the vast plaza before the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, mingling in spirit with hundreds of other grateful pilgrims. The next day, they attended the noon Pilgrim Mass, where they witnessed the swinging of the botafumeiro, the gigantic incense vessel that swooshes across the cathedral ceiling.

“I’m not sure I can properly express the awesomeness of being at that Mass,” Ellen explains, “especially looking around at fellow pilgrims we met along the way and their families. And that we walked this incredible walk together.”

Since 2012, Lek Kadeli has hiked the camino seven times and by five different routes — including one trip to raise money for drinking wells in Uganda. He concurs with Ellen: “Every time I’ve been to Santiago, I’m just overwhelmed being in the cathedral in unity with all these people throughout the world.”

Lek advises reserving sleeping accommodations beforehand if you are going as a group. As for advice of the spirit, consider this maxim: “Everyone walks their own camino.”

Each person is called to the pilgrimage for his or her own reasons, and those reasons are to be respected.

Peter firmly believes in this code of the camino. The best gift to offer a fellow pilgrim, he says, is a listening heart.

“A lot of people on the camino are broken,” he says.

“Not everyone is Christian. I think God finds them on the camino as they are.

“Take the opportunity to listen. And be open to God speaking to you through other people.”

For Ellen, the greatest gift of The Way is the shared family memories of “that window of opportunity the Lord provided for us.”

The most important lesson for Elizabeth: “Don’t compare your journey to other people’s journey. And if you are going with your family, you will experience them on a deeper level.”

“If you have the opportunity, go for it!”

DANIEL GALLIO writes from Ann Arbor, where he is a member of St. Francis of Assisi Parish.

From left to right: Mrika, Gjon, Elizabeth, Peter, Ellen.

Most pilgrims who arrive to Santiago take time to reflect on their journey in the square in front of the cathedral.

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OUR HISTORY

LAS

POSADAS 38

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DANIEL MELOY, WRITER • DIEGO DIAZ, ILLUSTRATOR

A TRADITION WITH BIBLICAL ROOTS REFLECTS A CONTEMPORARY HISTORY FOR DETROIT’S MEXICANAMERICAN COMMUNITY A COUPLE PROCESSES AROUND THE BASEMENT OF HOLY REDEEMER CHURCH, DRESSED LIKE THEY ARE FROM THE FIRST CENTURY, RECREATING A STORY THAT’S TIMELESS.

DURING THE PROCESSION, FRIENDS AND FAMILIES TAKE PICTURES WITH THEIR PHONES, CHILDREN PEER AROUND THEIR PARENTS TO GET A BETTER LOOK, YOUNG AND OLD CLAP TO A HYMN EVERYONE IN THE HALL KNOWS BY HEART.

En el nombre del cielo, yo os pido posada. …“In the name of heaven, I ask of you shelter.”

Aquí no es mesón; sigan adelante. …

“There’s no inn here; go on with you.”

The call and refrain are the same one Joseph exchanged with every innkeeper in Bethlehem, so the reenactors do another lap around the basement, emulating the journey Joseph and Mary took the night of Jesus’ birth.

Throughout southwest Detroit, the heart of Mexican-American culture in the city, parishes like Holy Redeemer, St. Stephen and Ste. Anne de Detroit celebrate Las Posadas — “The Inns” in Spanish — an annual Advent devotion.

The tradition, celebrated Dec. 16-24, marks the Holy Family’s journey to the Nativity and echoes the history of a people who have found room in a new country, making it their home.

THEN AND NOW Las Posadas originated in Mexico in the 1500s following the Spanish conquest, when priests sought to replace a pagan winter celebration with a Christian devotion to prepare the newly converted natives for Christmas.

The practice of Las Posadas remained a staple for the Mexican people and for Mexican immigrants who first moved in larger waves to Detroit in the 1920s, attracted by the booming auto industry.

“I remember singing Las Posadas as a little girl. There isn’t a time I can remember when I didn’t know the song,” says Sister Nina Rodriguez, SSJ, a southwest Detroit native whose parents immigrated to the Motor City from Mexico in 1929.

Las Posadas remained mostly a private family devotion until the 1970s, when another phase of Mexican immigration saw further growth in southwest Detroit’s “Mexicantown” neighborhood.

That’s when families at Ste. Anne de Detroit — Detroit’s oldest parish, founded by French Catholics but by then predominately populated by people of Mexican descent — started having public Las Posadas devotions in the neighborhood.

“When I left to enter the religious community, I had brothers and sisters who, because of the love of our culture, would do Las Posadas at Ste. Anne with a live donkey, going up and down the streets, singing songs that were very meaningful, asking, ‘Do you have room for us?’”

Outdoor processions with donkeys aren’t common today, thanks to Detroit’s bitter cold winters. Instead, Las Posadas take place in parish halls and basements, taking on a special significance: recalling the plight of the Holy Family in Palestine in the first century and acknowledging the current struggles of Mexican families in the United States in the 21st century.

“Las Posadas is when you come together with your family and you remember the struggle of your family, being immigrants coming to this country that desire to be welcomed, just as the Holy Family desired to be welcomed,” Sister Rodriguez says. “The whole idea is to remember Jesus, the center of our lives, the reason for the Christmas season. And he came into this world under a difficult situation. His family went through trials, just like our families have gone through trials.”

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A CELEBRATION OF ACCEPTANCE The Joseph and Mary re-enactors make their way through the parish basement, at each stop being rebutted by a chorus of singers who send them away. Joseph and Mary then do another lap around the basement, before finally coming to the innkeepers once more. It is on this final trip that the innkeepers realize whom they’ve been denying.

Mi esposa es María. Es Reina del Cielo y madre va a ser del Divino Verbo. … “My wife is Mary. She’s the Queen of Heaven who is going to be the mother of the Divine Word.” ¿Eres tú José? Tu esposa es María?

Entren, peregrinos; no los conocía. …

“Are you Joseph? Is your wife Mary? Enter, pilgrims; I did not recognize you.”

Once the pilgrims are taken in by the innkeepers, the congregation erupts into celebration. They break a piñata, eat tamales and drink hot chocolate, celebrating the birth of the Lord.

Ste. Anne de Detroit had one of the first local Las Posadas traditions, but by the 1980s and ’90s, as more and more Mexican immigrants came into the city and planted roots in the area, the Las Posadas traditions had grown. Today, they celebrate not only the Holy Family being taken in by an innkeeper, but a people being taken in by a new country.

“When you think about the entire devotion, who it celebrates and who are the people who are celebrating it, it’s really beautiful,” Sister Rodriguez says. “It has a real meaning to it, real depth. All of us have this inner desire to be received, that someone would open their hearts, their doors, to us. That is what Las Posadas is all about. So, when we celebrate in our parishes, our neighborhoods, we want to be received, respected and loved, and

in another country even more so.”

Sister Rodriguez adds that what makes Joseph and Mary’s journey to Bethlehem so meaningful is that it reflects everyone’s journey through life, full of both pain and incredible joy.

“What is so powerful is afterward, the people have this great celebration, a beauty in coming together,” Sister Rodriguez says.

“Just as in life you struggle, but at the end there is a cause for joy. God hears our prayers. He is with you.

And that is what Christmas is — what Emmanuel means — that God is with us.”

After the piñata is broken and the tamales are consumed, families

return to their homes to celebrate Christmas. Filled with the renewed hope that comes with the season, and always on the lookout for when Mary and Joseph may come calling again, they make room in their “inns” for Jesus.

“Honestly, it’s in our genes that we want to be accepted,” Sister Rodriguez says. “We want to find hospitality and we want to give that hospitality to others. That’s why we identify with Joseph and Mary so much and why Las Posadas is in our hearts. It’s something that is in every human being but maybe more so for Hispanics: a need to find a home and make our home a home for those in need.”

DANIEL MELOY is a staff reporter for Detroit Catholic.

ALL OF US HAVE THIS INNER DESIRE TO BE RECEIVED, THAT SOMEONE WOULD OPEN THEIR HEARTS, THEIR DOORS, TO US. THAT IS WHAT LAS POSADAS IS ALL ABOUT.” – SISTER NINA RODRIGUEZ, SSJ

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CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD

WORK

GOD St. Josemaría Escrivá shows us how to make everything a prayer.

“A CATHOLIC, WITHOUT PRAYER? IT IS THE SAME AS A SOLDIER WITHOUT ARMS.” SO SAYS ST. JOSEMARÍA ESCRIVÁ. BUT PRAYER CAN BE HARD. TIME IS SHORT AND DEMANDS ARE MANY; WHERE CAN WE FIND THE TIME TO PRAY? ST. JOSEMARÍA HAS AN IDEA: “WHY DON’T YOU TRY CONVERTING YOUR WHOLE LIFE INTO THE SERVICE OF GOD — YOUR WORK AND YOUR REST, YOUR TEARS AND YOUR SMILES?” ESCRIVÁ ASKS, THEN URGES, “YOU CAN … AND YOU MUST!”

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SANCTIFYING WORK Anything can become a prayer, according to St. Josemaría. “Look for holiness in the middle of the world,” he says. That laundry, those dishes, that teetering tower of paperwork on your desk — these do not have to be obstacles to sanctification. Done with care and competence, daily tasks become the means of sanctification.

This doesn’t mean we should disregard prayer in a more traditional sense. But prayer isn’t something that happens outside of daily life. It is the thread that ties all we do together, into one life of service to God. Prayer doesn’t stop when work begins.

Our work — fulfilling our daily responsibilities — becomes an expression of our faith. “You should maintain throughout the day a constant conversation with Our Lord, a conversation fed even by the things that happen in your professional work,” Escrivá writes.

It is a mistake, he cautions, to reduce the Christian life to “a few pious practices.”

“You and I are Christians, but at the same time … we are citizens and workers with clear obligations, which we have to fulfill in an exemplary manner if we really want to become saints,” he writes.

“Add a supernatural motive to your ordinary work and you will have sanctified it.”

ALWAYS BETTER, ALWAYS MORE Escrivá suggests we must be as serious about our work as we are about Mass: “It is no good offering to God something that is less perfect than our poor human limitations permit. The work that we offer must be without blemish and it must be done as carefully as possible … for God will not accept shoddy workmanship.”

St. Josemaría encourages us to develop competence in our professions and in our faith. Whatever our obligations at home, school or work, we should strive each day to improve in some way. It is a theme he repeats often, sometimes sternly: “You pray, you deny yourself, you work in a thousand apostolic activities, but you don’t study. You are useless then unless you change.

Study — professional training of whatever type it be — is a grave obligation.”

This constant improvement should not be geared toward self-satisfaction. Our goal should always be to serve God and others to the best of our ability (and to always improve upon that ability!).

We should view each role in our lives as an opportunity to offer something to the Lord. St. Josemaría says we should try to be “a good brother, a good companion, a good friend, a good colleague.” We should fulfill our family obligations with joy and be loyal friends.

DIVINE FILIATION For St. Josemaría, the foundation of Christian life is “divine filiation.”

We are all children of God. At every moment, we must accept that truth and live in it. No matter the circumstances of our lives, we are called to embrace the truth of our baptism.

“You cannot forget that any worthy, noble and honest work at the human level can — and should! — be raised to the supernatural level, becoming a divine task.”

“Children of God! A condition which transforms us into something that goes far beyond our being people who merely put up with each other,” Escrivá says. And, like true children, we, “like him, give our lives for each other, when heroism is needed and throughout our ordinary lives.”

That means the mundane details of life can be important, even divine.

Escrivá asks us to be always mindful that everything we do matters, and it matters to God. “We should make no mistake ...

God is no shadowy or distant being who created us then abandoned us; nor is he a master who goes away and does not return. Though we do not perceive him with our senses, his existence is far more true than any of the realities which we touch and see. God is here with us, really present, living. He sees and hears us, he guides us and knows our smallest deeds, our most hidden intentions.”

FRIENDSHIP AND CHEER Escrivá has yet another mission in mind when he stresses constant improvement: the conversion of others. By working to be excellent at whatever we do, we draw others to ourselves and to the faith. For Escrivá, this is a key component of missionary discipleship.

KATHLEEN M. CARROLL, WRITER • DIEGO DIAZ, ILLUSTRATOR

Often, this will find expression in acts of service to others. “When you have finished your work, do your brother’s, helping him … so tactfully and so naturally that no one — not even he — will realize that you are doing more than what in justice you ought. This, indeed, is virtue befitting a son of God!” You may be the only Catholic someone ever meets. For that person, you may be the face of the Church, the face of Christ. “The cheerfulness of a man of God, of a woman of God, has to overflow: it has to be calm, contagious, attractive ... [I]n a few words, it has to be so supernatural, and natural, so infectious that it may bring others to follow Christian ways.”

If we work hard, and well, and cheerfully, always conscious of our relationship to the Lord, life itself becomes a beautiful prayer.

KATHLEEN M. CARROLL is the editor of Comboni Missions magazine and the director of communications for the Sisters of Divine Providence.

Formerly editorial director for Franciscan Media, she has authored five books and edited more than a thousand on Catholic life, saints and spirituality.

Quotes from St. Josemaría Escrivá are taken from his written works, which can be found at www.escrivaworks.org.

ST. JOSEMARÍA ESCRIVÁ St. Josemaría Escrivá is the founder of Opus Dei (“The Work of God”), an organization of priests and laypeople committed to sanctifying everyday life. Born in Spain, he was ordained in 1925 and earned doctorates in law and theology.

He is the founder of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross (in Rome), the University of Navarre (Spain) and the University of Piura (in Peru). His books include The Way, which has been translated into more than 40 languages and has sold nearly 5 million copies. He died in 1975 and was canonized in 2002. Today, Opus Dei has about 85,000 members worldwide, including 3,000 in the United States.

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PR AYER 101

celebrate!

AS ADVENT WINDS DOWN AND WE LOOK AHEAD TO CHRISTMAS, HERE’S HOW TO KEEP JESUS AT THE CENTER OF THESE SEASONS. 44

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St. Charles Lwanga parishioners praying in St. Cecilia Parish, Detroit.

Advent is a season of preparation for Christmas Day and the season of Christmas. As Catholics, we do not celebrate Christmas as one day on the calendar, check off some sort of box and then proceed with the rest of our lives as if Jesus’ incarnation somehow does not affect us today.

The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Everything God the Father wants to say to us today, he says through his Son, who lives in us because of our baptism. It is important that in these last days of Advent and throughout the Christmas season, we make time to pray and to listen to what Jesus is saying to us. We can find help from the infancy narratives in the first few chapters of both Matthew and Luke.

IN THE FINAL DAYS OF THE ADVENT SEASON, recall John the Baptist, the voice of one crying out in the wilderness to prepare the way of the Lord.

READ: Matthew 3:11: The one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals.

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

REFLECT AND PRAY: Where do I need repentance in my life? What thoughts, words or actions in my life prevent me from seeing how near Jesus is? Jesus, the one whom the world longs for, help me to prepare my life for your arrival.

ON CHRISTMAS, recall the shepherds, who receive the good news with joy and worship the Lord.

READ: Luke 2:10-11: The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord.”

REFLECT AND PRAY: Am I caught up in the commercial side of Christmas, or do I realize the true gift our world has been given in Jesus? Do I share with others the gift that Jesus is to me? Jesus, you know and love me better than I know and love myself. Help me to make you known to all those I love.

ON THE FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY (DEC. 29), recall St. Joseph, who speaks to us profoundly by his silence. He never utters a single word in the Scriptures but simply listens, hears and responds.

READ: Matthew 1:24: When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.

REFLECT AND PRAY: How well do I listen in prayer, especially at this busy time of year? How often do I insist on my own way and ignore a prompting of the Holy Spirit to do God’s will? Jesus, the Incarnate Word, help me to hear your voice clearly and respond faithfully.

FATHER BRIAN MELDRUM, WRITER • NAOMI VRAZO, PHOTOGRAPHER

ON THE SOLEMNITY OF MARY, THE MOTHER OF GOD (JAN. 1), recall Our Blessed Mother, who ponders the word of God in her heart and conceives the Word of God in her womb.

READ: Luke 1:35: And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.” REFLECT AND PRAY: What part of the mission to unleash the Gospel has God entrusted to me? Do I pray for the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit to guide me in my vocation? Jesus, your coming into the world is not only the good news, it is the best news. Give me the gift of the Holy Spirit and the joy of sharing the Gospel with someone during the Christmas season.

ON THE FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY (JAN. 5), recall the Magi from the east, who journey from afar to worship the King.

READ: Matthew 2:9-10: The star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star.

REFLECT AND PRAY: Is there a family member or a friend I need to invite to Christmas Mass? Is there a person in my life I need to forgive or ask forgiveness from in the new year? How do I respond to the people in my parish who come to Mass only on Christmas?

With generosity and hospitality, or with impatience and judgment? Jesus, for whom there was no room at the inn, help me to make room for others in my parish and my home this Christmas season.

ON THE FEAST OF THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD (JAN. 12), we come full circle to John the Baptist and Jesus himself. We recall the day of our baptism when we were called beloved sons and daughters of the Father.

READ: Luke 3:21-12: Heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove.

And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

REFLECT AND PRAY: Do I define myself by my success or failure — what I do, where I live, how much I earn or what others think of me? Or do I know my deepest identity is as a beloved son or daughter of God? Do I live my life for God, my Father, as an heir of all that has been promised to me through Jesus? Jesus, the only Begotten Son of God, teach me to live as a son or daughter of the light.

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LITURGICAL SEASONS: YOU CROWN THE YEAR WITH YOUR GOODNESS St. Charles Borromeo, Newport.

THE LITURGICAL YEAR THAT BEGINS AT ADVENT DOES SOMETHING THAT’S IMPORTANT AT EVERY OUTSET: TO BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND. DURING THE WHOLE LITURGICAL YEAR, WE EXPERIENCE ALL THE EVENTS OF SALVATION HISTORY — THE MISSION OF JESUS THAT CULMINATES IN HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION — AND ARE CALLED TO DIE TO SELF AND RISE WITH JESUS. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE WHEN WE GATHER TO WORSHIP. THE WHOLE LITURGICAL YEAR IS OUR JOURNEY CLOSER TO GOD THROUGH THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH. 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.

MAREK DZIEKONSKI, PHOTOGRAPHER

•

CHRISTMAS and EASTER are seasons of rejoicing and feasting when we celebrate the mystery of the Incarnation (when God became man in Jesus Christ) and the paschal mystery (when Jesus died and rose again to set us free from sin and death). Both Christmas and Easter are seasons. We do not simply celebrate one day, because the joy of Christ’s birth and resurrection cannot be contained to one day. Rather, the Church extends these most holy celebrations so the people of God have the opportunity to delve deeply into these mysteries. Clergy wear white during these joyful and triumphant seasons.

• D uring ADVENT and LENT, we prepare ourselves for Jesus’ coming into our lives daily by reflecting, re-evaluating and removing sin and other obstacles that prevent us from knowing his loving presence.

We also use these seasons to prepare ourselves for his second coming in glory. Priests wear violet, a color associated both with repentance and royalty, during these important times.

•

ORDINARY TIME is a hopeful season when life has sprung anew on account of the Resurrection. Perhaps this is one reason priests wear green, the color of new plants and new life. For more than 30 weeks in this season, the Church gives us time to pause and ponder the extraordinary things God has done for us throughout the rest of the liturgical year. Ordinary Time concludes every year with the Solemnity of Christ the King. This is the ultimate reminder that Jesus Christ is “the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

(Rv 22:13) The Church prays that Christ will be honored as king in all the hearts of the faithful. That begins with each of us preparing our hearts to receive him, making space for him in our lives and inviting him to come be with us every day. The one for whom there was no room at the inn in Bethlehem desires most of all to dwell in our hearts and make his home among us. O come, O come, Emmanuel: God with us!

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P RAYING WITH T HE C HUR CH FATHER S

ST. AUGUSTINE On the good of marriage 48

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DIEGO DIAZ, ILLUSTRATOR

ST. AU GU S TI NE WROTE THE TRE ATI S E ON THE GOOD

OF MARRIAGE I N ABOU T THE Y E AR 4 0 1 . H E W A S TRY I NG TO C HART A M I D D L E COU RSE B E T W E E N T W O E XTRE M E S BY U P HOL D I NG TH E G O O D O F M ARRI AGE WHI L E AL S O D E F E ND I NG T H E SP E C IA L ROL E OF CONS E C RATE D VI RGI NI T Y /C E LIB AC Y IN I M I TATI ON OF C HRI S T.

In the following selection, Augustine begins by recognizing that human beings are social beings by nature. Because of this, friendship between human beings is of great benefit; there is power in friendship. But we are more than just solitary individuals who have friendships with other individuals. The Lord God made us all from one (that is, from Adam), so that we would also be bonded together as a family.

Augustine concludes from this that the marriage of a man and a woman is the first and fundamental bond of human society.

All other relationships and friendships are anchored in the original bond of husband and wife. (Gen 2:24) Augustine sees great significance in the fact that Scripture speaks about Eve being created by God from Adam’s side. God could have created two independent and unrelated beings and brought them together. But instead he made one from the other. This points to the close bond of kinship and the deep unity that husband and wife are called to in marriage.

In the final sentence, Augustine imagines the husband and wife “walking side by side” and “looking ahead” together.

This gives marriage a sense of purpose, of mission and even of common adventure.

St. Augustine, On the Good of Marriage, 1.1 1 Every human being is part of the human race, and human nature is a social entity, and has naturally the great benefit and power of friendship. For this reason God wished to produce all persons out of one, so that they would be held together in their social relationships not only by similarity of race, but also by the bond of kinship.

The first natural bond of human society, therefore, is that of husband and wife. God did not create them as separate individuals and bring them together as persons of a different race, but he created one from the other, making the side, from which the woman was taken and formed, a sign of the strength of their union.

For those who walk together, and look ahead together to where they are walking, do so at each other’s side.

1

he translation is from The Works of T Saint Augustine: A Translation for the 21st Century, vol. I.9, Marriage and Virginity, ed. and trans. David G. Hunter (New York: New City Press, 1999), 33.

CO M M ENTA RY BY D R . DA NI EL K EATI NG Dr. Daniel Keating is an author and professor of theology at Sacred Heart Major Seminary.

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holy, divine FAMILY CHALLENGE

SOMETHING

SOMETHING

A PRAYER FOR NEW PARENTS — AND FOR ANY CARETAKER SEEKING GOD’S JOY THROUGH THE HAZE OF LIFE’S EXHAUSTING ROUTINES

“God is calling you to serve him in and from the ordinary, material, and secular activities of human life … understand this well: There is something holy, something divine, hidden in the most ordinary situations, and it is up to each one of you to discover it.”

— ST. JOSEMARÍA ESCRIVÁ

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I am in the magical and messy thick of ASHLIE DILL lives in Oregon with her young family life. Our children are 4, 2 and an husband and three small infant, born in January. A new baby … is there children. She loves to cook and anything quite like holding a silky, soft newcrochet when she’s not planning born in your arms? It’s an absolute wonder. for homeschool and blogging But with the joy also comes a seismic shift at adillightfuladventure.com. in the family dynamic and responsibilities.

Through the sleepless haze of new-baby life, it can feel nearly impossible to muster the time for prayer (or, let’s be honest, even snag a shower).

In our new normal with a baby, much is required of us, often causing us to give and stretch beyond what we thought possible. In this season, I find that it is particularly crucial to seek out the “something holy, something divine” in our daily work, because it is too easy to become resentful of the self-gift required in family life.

When we offer our parenting — joys and crosses — to God, he sanctifies our work and strengthens us in virtue.

I often have to remind myself that, though I am far from sainthood, God remains near to me, his child. Even on the days when I feel like I’m failing, God loves me and helps me grow in holiness right here in my own home.

ASHLIE DILL, WRITER • ANDREA RITCHIE, PHOTOGRAPHER

HUNGRY BABIES COMPASSION In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink ….” (Mt 25:34-35) Yes, this calls our attention to the poor, but it also applies to our own tiny people crying out in hunger every few hours.

In our home, that’s our 4-year-old’s endless requests for snacks, the baby needing to nurse every few hours and our 2-year-old shouting at 3 a.m., “Mommy, Daddy! I’m hungwee AND firsty!” In this daily work, Christ says we are blessed; when I give food and drink to them, I am feeding Christ in them.

PRAYER FOR COMPASSION: Father, give me eyes to see you in my hungry children. No matter how many times they come to me begging, may my heart hear you calling out to me. I offer to you all the effort it takes to feed my children. Help me respond with compassionate love.

DIRTY DIAPERS TENDERNESS In the first three months of a new baby’s life, you change about 700 diapers.

(Yes, 700!) It may seem that a blowout diaper doesn’t meet the mark for holy and divine; however, God sanctifies even the dirty diapers, because God Incarnate came down from heaven and belonged to a family. Imagine … Jesus, fully God and fully man, needed Mother Mary and St. Joseph to change and dress him.

Thus, the changing table becomes sacred ground when we do our work out of love, taking the opportunity to show tenderness to a vulnerable child.

PRAYER FOR TENDERNESS: Jesus, thank you for entrusting this little person’s body and soul to my care. Help me to tenderly perform the duty of changing and dressing my child. I offer this work to you for my own sanctification, that my heart may be softened toward all vulnerable people.

SLEEPLESS NIGHTS FORTITUDE People always joke with new parents about how little sleep they’ll get once the baby arrives, but you never really understand until it happens. In those wee hours, I try to offer up my tired prayers for others. I find it helpful to keep a list of a handful of prayer intentions at the ready. Often on my list: other moms awake at that hour, families in crisis situations and any specific prayer requests for my family and friends. Interceding for others doesn’t help me feel rested, but I try to remember that even my exhaustion can be offered for the good of the kingdom and my own soul.

PRAYER FOR FORTITUDE: Father, I am tired, and I ask you to grant me fortitude to endure these long nights. I offer this time awake for _________________.

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GETTING INTERRUPTED PATIENCE As a parent, everything gets interrupted. (In fact, I just employed my children to smash ice outside with toy hammers so I can write!) It is difficult to respond in a spirit of love when you are trying to check an item off your long task list or you finally grab a rare moment of free time. For patience, I pray the words of St. Josemaría Escrivá, below.

PRAYER FOR PATIENCE: “How beautiful to act out such a role for Love, with a spirit of sacrifice, not seeking any personal satisfaction, but just to please Our Father God … Turn to Our Lord with confidence and say to him: ‘I don’t feel like doing this at all, but I will offer it up for you.’ And then put your heart into the job you are doing, even though you think you are just play acting.

Blessed play acting! I assure you it isn’t hypocrisy, because hypocrites need a public for their pantomimes, whereas the spectators of our play, let me repeat, are the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Most Holy Virgin, St. Joseph and all the angels and saints in heaven.” (Friends of God)

PILES OF LAUNDRY GRATITUDE St. Teresa of Avila said, “Know that even when you are in the kitchen, our Lord moves amidst the pots and pans.” God walks among the mountains of laundry, too. With a newborn, the laundry multiplies exponentially. Before I finish putting away the clean clothes, there awaits another full hamper. In his book, Ordinary Work, Extraordinary Grace, Scott Hahn puts it well: “Even the smallest tasks can take on infinite value when we offer them to God, when we carry them out as works of God.” I try, then, to carry out this work well and to find the joy in the blessings: We have a family to love, clothes to wear and a place to wash our clothes.

PRAYER FOR GRATITUDE: Father, I am grateful for your love, for your presence, that you care even for all my little works.

I offer this endless work of laundry to you, that I may become the parent my children need me to be. Help me find joy right here in this moment.

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SAYING YES TO HELP HUMILITY When you have a new baby, you might get a lot of offers for help. With our first, I desperately wanted help but felt guilty accepting. This time around, all I had to say was a resounding “YES!” and something beautiful happened. While I served my family by taking care of the new baby, my family and parish community were Christ to me. God came into my home to love me in the form of a cooked meal and helping hands.

PRAYER FOR HUMILITY: Father, grant me humility to accept help and bless all the people assisting my family at this time. May our family of faith grow stronger and closer.

THINK. FEEL. DO. Even if caring for children is not part of your life, you doubtlessly face daily tasks — little crosses — that feel more like burdens than blessings.

PARTICIPATING IN THE HOLY MASS FAITHFULNESS Yes, the Mass is extraordinary, but we still bring our ordinary humanity to worship. Mass can feel like the longest hour of the week if you’re holding a crying, grumpy baby. If someone hasn’t told you this, let me reassure you: You belong at Mass. The sound of children at Mass means the Church is full of new life, a healthy family. My husband and I struggle with that feeling of not getting “filled up” because we are always juggling the needs of little ones during Mass.

We try to remind each other that God will bless our faithfulness and that, even if we don’t hear one word of the homily, Christ fills us when we receive him in the Eucharist!

PRAYER FOR FAITHFULNESS: Dearest Father, here I am. As I come to worship you, I offer any setbacks and frustrations as a prayer for my children’s salvation. May our family always seek you, know you, love you and remain faithful for generations to come.

Maybe you think finding God in these ordinary places seems forced. Some days when I’m pushed to the limits of my energy and patience, when I feel like there isn’t enough of me to go around, I have my doubts. I’m tempted to believe I must find holiness and a deep relationship with God somewhere, anywhere, else. When doubts come, I look at the lives of the saints to remind myself that, “Everything done out of love acquires greatness and beauty” (The Way).

May we have eyes to see the holy and divine in our homes today and have open hearts to meet God in the most ordinary places.

THINK: For whom are you a caretaker? An aging parent?

A spouse? A pet? A co-worker?

A friend? What roles do you perform that you sometimes wish you could avoid?

FEEL: Look beneath the surface to summon gratitude in your heart. Helping your “high-maintenance” co-worker means you have a job. Looking after a parent, pet or spouse means you’ve had loved ones to rely on when you’ve been in need yourself. Standing by a friend shows that you’re part of a social community.

All of these are reasons to feel immensely thankful.

DO: Thank the people in your life for the opportunity to care for them — the opportunity to minister to Christ through them.

Approach your tasks with joy, and when that feels impossible, approach the Lord in prayer for compassion, tenderness, fortitude, gratitude, patience, humility and faithfulness.

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GOING DEEPER

WHAT’S THE RIGHT

FOR YOU?

Explore the spiritual practices of our holy saints to find the form that fits your particular personality.

IGNATIAN WE ARE NOT ALL CALLED TO WEAR A HAIR SHIRT IN THE DESERT, “LEAP AND DANCE” BEFORE THE LORD, D WELL WITH ASSISI’S ANIMALS OR ANY OF THE OTHER UNEXPECTED FORMS OF PRAYER THE SAINTS WERE CALLED TO. WE ARE, HOWEVER, ALL CALLED TO PRAYER. HITTING A WALL IN PRAYER CAN BE AN OPPORTUNIT Y TO EXAMINE OUR PERSONALIT Y OR TEMPERAMENT INSTEAD OF ABANDONING PRAYER ALTOGETHER BECAUSE “IT’S JUST NOT WORKING FOR US.” WHO WE ARE SHOULD NOT BE AN OBSTACLE TO PRAYER. WE WERE METICULOUSLY AND PARTICULARLY DESIGNED, AND UNDERSTANDING THIS DESIGN CAN WIDEN THE CHANNELS OF DIVINE COMMUNICATION AND DEEPEN OUR INTIMACY WITH GOD. THE FOLLOWING REFLECTIONS — TAKEN FROM THE BOOK PRAYER AND TEMPERAMENT BY MSGR. CHESTER P. MICHAEL AND MARIE CHRISTIAN NORRISEY — HIGHLIGHT JUST FOUR OF MANY ST YLES OF CATHOLIC SPIRITUALIT Y AND PRAYER LIFE NAMED FOR FOUR OF THE CHURCH’S MOST ICONIC SAINTS AND PERSONALITIES. CONSIDER THESE REFLECTIONS AN INVITATION TO UNDERSTAND YOUR PARTICULAR SPIRITUALIT Y AND EXPLORE NEW ST YLES OF PRAYER THAT MIGHT BETTER COMPLEMENT YOUR “DESIGN.”

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Dating to 1000 BC when the Israelites used to pray by immersing themselves in an event to relive it symbolically, Ignatian prayer uses a sanctified imagination to project oneself into the Gospel stories to better understand what God is trying to communicate through them.

Ignatians are sensory-oriented and apply this to their meditations, imagining what a biblical event would have been like by noticing the smells of the marketplace, the sounds of the cattle, the feel of dust on their feet. By relinquishing control in this holy daydream, the promptings of the Holy Spirit can move you to uncover something new from the same reading each time. At one moment, you could be Pontius Pilate examining your fear of being associated with Christ; the next, you could be Mary, contemplating the unthinkable loss of your son. At one time, you might reflect

CASEY MCCORRY, WRITER • JOESPH SKIPINSKI, PHOTOGRAPHER

AUGUSTINIAN

Mass at St. Joseph Catholic Parish, Erie.

CASEY MCCORRY is a Chicago-based writer and documentary filmmaker.

A graduate of Michigan State University, Casey also has written for The National Catholic Reporter and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

on your distrust of Jesus; at another, on your adoration. It’s an opportunity to immerse yourself completely in the Gospel to see what you can learn from it.

REFLECT: “You, a devout Israelite from Ephesus, are a stranger in Jerusalem on your first trip for the Passover.

It is Good Friday morning; you find yourself caught up in a noisy crowd leading a man away to be crucified. You have never seen a crucifixion, so out of curiosity you follow the crowd to Calvary and find the man’s name is Jesus of Nazareth. You are fascinated by the proceedings and by the conduct of Jesus. You stay until he dies.

Close your eyes, and in your imagination relive the scene and try to capture the impressions and conclusions you may have experienced. Draw some spiritual fruit for your own spiritual growth. What change is this experience going to make in your life?” (54)

St. Augustine had his conversion when he read Romans 13 as if it were a message spoken and written specifically for him at that moment, and this is how the Augustinian prayer style works. Unlike Ignatian prayer, in which you place yourself into the Gospel story, Augustinian prayer is a practical application of Scripture reading, pulling out of it what you find applies to your present circumstances as if the passage is personal communication from God. Augustinians are less driven by the senses than Ignatians; they are intuitive, reading between the lines and grasping what is inexpressible.

REFLECT: “Read Isaiah 43:1-5. Change the words “Jacob” and “Israel” to your own first name. Try to imagine the Lord speaking these words directly to you.

What meaning would they have for you in your present situation? Try to transpose the message from God to yourself today. What is the Lord talking about when he tells you, “Fear not”? What fears do you have? Water and fire were the two greatest dangers that aroused the fears of ancient people; what are the greatest dangers you face in your life?

What is the Lord telling you to do in times of danger? Imagine Jesus saying to you now, “You are precious in my eyes, and I love you.” “Fear not, I am with you.” How do you see this to be true in your own situation today?” (64)

FRANCISCAN Like St. Francis of Assisi, Franciscans tend to be carefree, moving impulsively to what the Spirit is calling them to do. They bristle at being “tied down by the rules.” More deeply rooted in the present moment than other spiritualities, Franciscans benefit from tangible aids for prayer such as sacramentals or music.

Their prayer style is more incarnational, focusing on the events of Christ’s life rather than on his teachings. Thus, they appreciate finding Christ present in nature, art and those they can serve.

REFLECT: “Read Daniel 3:26-90.

Compose your own canticle of praise to God for all the beauties of his creation. Include the beauties of the inner world, of the Spirit, of one’s own nature, of friends, as well as of the physical world.” (75)

THOMISTIC In the tradition of St. Thomas Aquinas, Thomists are spiritually characterized by an intense pursuit of understanding. They are perfectionistic, driven by a consuming desire to uncover total truth. They think about the future and are goal-oriented, which is why they are often leaders of their community. Unlike the carefree Franciscans, Thomistic spirituality depends on a neat, orderly, intellectual prayer life. In prayer, Thomists will take a virtue, mystery of faith or a theological truth and study it from every angle asking: Who? What? When?

Why? How? This leads them to deeper contemplation and dialogue with God. REFLECT: “Read Matthew 11:29, Luke 14:7-11 and Corinthians 4:7. Take the virtue of humility. Reflect upon it; what does it mean? What is the connection between humility and authenticity? What does Jesus mean when he says, “Learn of me, for I am meek and humble of heart?” If you have some good spiritual book, you might read what it says about the virtue of humility. Think of some examples of persons in the Bible who were humble (Moses, Mary, Joseph). Where have you been humbled in the past? What are some examples of your failure to be humble? What changes do you need to make in your life to be more humble? What do you need to do to grow in humility? What might you do this day to practice humility? End the period of prayer with petitions to God, Jesus, Mary and the saints to help you to be more humble.” (87)

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PURSUING HOLINESS

RACHEL AND TONY ULLMANN

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ELIZABETH MAHON, PHOTOGRAPHER

HO W DID YOU T W O MEET AND WHAT DREW YOU TO EACH OTHER? RACHEL: We met coaching a Catholic school softball team! Tony was a graduate of the school and had been coaching for seven years with his grandfather. Once his grandfather retired, the school advertised to all of the faculty and staff the open position, and I jumped on board. The beauty of our story was that we were friends first before beginning a romantic relationship, and all because of the love of softball and our deep roots in Catholic education!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FAMILY TRADITION THAT INCORPORATES YOUR FAITH?

RACHEL AND TONY ULLMANN recently celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary by taking a pilgrimage to Lourdes. Rachel serves as the executive director of The GIVEN Institute, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to activating the gifts of young adult women for the Catholic Church and the world. Prior to joining GIVEN, Rachel worked for the Archdiocese of Baltimore for more than 12 years supporting parishes and schools with their advancement efforts. Rachel also has taught theology courses in Catholic schools and is a graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville, where she majored in theology and catechetics. She obtained her master’s in education administration from Johns Hopkins University. Tony works for a local business that was founded by his grandmother in 1973. The Ullmanns live in Kingsville, Md., with their two children, Evangeline and Cooper.

RACHEL: Holy Week holds myriad traditions for us.

We have a wooden Easter egg in the style of a Russian nesting doll that tells the story of Holy Week one day and one egg at a time. Each day, we open the egg and read a story of what took place from Palm Sunday up until the Resurrection. During that week, our local parish hosts a “Crosswalk” with the other surrounding Christian communities. We walk with other families in our neighborhood carrying a cross and praying the Stations of the Cross together as an ecumenical community. Hearing our toddler and preschool-aged children sing “The Old Rugged Cross” and “Were You There?” are powerful moments.

HO W DO YOU SURROUND YOURSELF WITH OTHER CATHOLIC FAMILIES WHO SHARE YOUR MORALS AND VALUES? RACHEL: We have taken this very seriously as a family.

Our community has been built upon the foundation of Mass attendance and Catholic-sponsored social gatherings, such as a parish carnival or a church softball team. We have purposely encouraged other Catholic families to move to our neighborhood so we can raise our children surrounded by like-minded peers. Once a month, we host a prayer-and-praise potluck with Catholic families in the area that includes a baby-sitter, a playground and intentional intercession for one another.

TONY : Since Rachel was raised in a supportive faith community we knew how essential this lifestyle and commitment were for the support of our family of faith.

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- S U SA N B

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HO W DO YOU HELP YOUR CHILDREN PARTICIPATE AT MASS? RACHE L : Hands down, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) is the best investment we have ever made. Our daughter has attended Atrium since she was 2.5 years old, and our son will be starting later this year. We traveled to another parish because we believed in the impact of the Montessori-style approach to teaching the parts of the Mass and inviting the children into the mystery and beauty of the liturgy. Thankfully, we successfully have brought CGS to our own parish now, and other families are experiencing the fruits of this style of religious education. Not to mention, colorful religious books, including a children’s missal, are a great investment!

“ W E BOT H W O RK V E RY H A RD I N O U R CA RE E RS B U T L E AV E SAT U R DAY A N D S U N DAY TO O U R FA M I LY A LO NE .

WE T RY TO CA RRY O U T H O U S E H O LD C H O RE S A N D YA RD W O RK DU RI N G N A P T I M E S O T H E OT H E R H O U RS O F T H E DAY A RE S PE N T A S A FA M I LY.” -R AC H E L UL LMA N N

WHAT ARE SOME TIPS ON TAKING TIME TO F OCUS ON YOUR MARRIAGE? RACHE L : We strive to keep our marriage as fun as our time dating. In fact, it’s often even more fun because telling stories to each other about our kids is sometimes the best comedy routine! Budgeting for a baby-sitter for date nights out is important to us so we can have time to get dressed up and take a step away from the routine.

We recommend escape rooms, trivia nights and double dates with other couples — keeps the conversation flowing and creates teamwork!

HO W DO YOU SHARE LEADERSHIP AND RESPONSIBILIT Y IN THE HOUSEHOLD? RACHE L : We both work very hard in our careers but leave Saturday and Sunday to our family alone. We try to carry out household chores and yard work during nap time so the other hours of the day are spent as a family. We never override the other parent in front of our children when making a decision, even if we disagree with what is taking place in the moment. We have a conversation later on without our children present so we can come to an agreement and display a unified household, free from bickering and power struggles.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE DEVOTION AS A FAMILY? TONY : We have a deep devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes and the Divine Mercy. Rachel was born after 11 years of infertility and a pilgrimage her grandmother took to Lourdes asking the Blessed Mother for the gift of a child.

As a result, Rachel went on a service trip to Lourdes as a college student, caring for the sick and hospitalized.

Just recently, we traveled to Lourdes with her parents on a pilgrimage with the Knights of Malta. Also, we were married on Divine Mercy weekend and have had both children baptized on the feast of the Divine Mercy. We like to keep traditions strong in our family!

HO W DO YOU LIVE OUT THE CALL TO BEING THE PRIMARY EDUCATORS OF YOUR CHILDREN? RACHEL: While we have enrolled our children in Catholic school and invest in extracurricular activities such as Vacation Bible School, dance and music, we love to explore our God-given potential in the home!

Through the beauty of wonder, we try to be outdoors in our local state park regularly. We live steps away from Little Gunpowder Falls and an old stone mill that has been preserved for tourists. If you stop by our house, you might find Tony reviewing flash cards of sight words and equations with Eva, and me reading works from our “great books” list to Cooper. In fact, our favorite activity is to play games together, especially saint cards! We get to learn about new saints all the time, and the kids are fascinated at all the different types of patronages.

Teaching our own children is a great gift and a wonderful way to grow together as a family!

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UNLEA SHE D Q UESTIONNA IR E

DR. DANIEL

WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ? I’m usually caught up in reading multiple books at a time but most recently completed C.S. Lewis’ The Weight of Glory and Meb Keflezighi’s 26 Marathons.

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST PET PEEVE? Rudeness. It usually just takes so little effort to be kind in our daily interactions, and kindness changes everything.

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST RISK YOU’VE TAKEN?

WHAT GIVES YOU THE MOST HAPPINESS?

The Immaculate Conception. The day God gave us the perfect mother, and the rest is history ...

The biggest risk professionally was changing my practice to an NFP-only Ob/ Gyn practice many years ago. At that time, I thought the practice would diminish drastically, but God blessed the decision with innumerable wonderful patients and families and a practice that flourished. My greatest personal risk was skydiving (only once!), which retrospectively was a much greater risk than I appreciated at the time!

WHAT IS YOUR BEST QUALITY?

WHAT IS YOUR EARLIEST MEMORY?

My family provides me the greatest happiness. Professionally, my greatest happiness emanates from the privilege of being an obstetrician. A husband and wife joining together in cooperation with God to create a new human life with a soul that will be able to remain in union with God and praise him eternally is an almost unimaginable event. To be privileged to assist these families is an indescribable joy for me.

WHOM DO YOU ADMIRE? St. John Paul II, the pope of my formative years and such an incredible inspiration.

His writings are so rich in faith and love.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FEAST DAY?

After weeding through my many faults, I would identify my best quality as my willingness to really listen to others and to be there for people when they need me.

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Strangely, my earliest memory is pretending to sleep during naptime as a toddler. The baby-sitter was on to my ruse, however.

WHAT’S THE FIRST THING YOU DO WHEN YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING? Prayer, then coffee, then exercise!

Good things come in threes, right?

DIEGO DIAZ, ILLUSTRATOR

WHAT TALENT OR SKILL DO YOU WISH YOU HAD?

HOW DO YOU DEFINE A “MISSIONARY DISCIPLE”?

I would love to be proficient at playing the piano.

To me, being a missionary disciple in today’s world is living the Gospel in each moment and, in so doing, evangelizing in everyday interactions with others.

WHAT IS YOUR VISION OF HEAVEN? I envision heaven as being with God and worshipping him in a sense of complete peace, joy and love. I admit, however, an attachment to my childhood version of God as a white-bearded king literally sitting on a throne! That always made sense to me.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB? Outdoor cleaning and maintenance at my mother’s office building. My parents endeavored to instill in me the virtue and value of work.

WHAT IS YOUR MOST CHERISHED POSSESSION? Family heirlooms that connect us with loved ones past. Our family passed on to us a 1931 Nine Tube Elliott grandfather clock that we just love and cherish.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HOBBY OR PASTIME? Running! Quiet time for physical activity is so important. Running has been an excellent challenge at times but also one of my greatest therapies physically, mentally and spiritually.

WHAT DO YOU VALUE THE MOST IN YOUR FRIENDS?

WHAT KEEPS YOU UP AT NIGHT? Our country seems to be mired more and more in negativity and polarization.

We can do better. We all have common ground on which to build together and make our country, the world and the Church better places.

HOW DO YOU WANT TO BE REMEMBERED WHEN YOU DIE? If I can be remembered as a faithful and loving husband and father and a good steward of the blessing of my medical career, that is all I desire.

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE MOTTO OR MANTRA? “All for.” At the Apostolate for Family Consecration, this stands for “All for the Sacred and Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, all through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, all in union with St. Joseph.” Saying “All for” reminds me throughout the day of my consecration to Jesus through Mary and focuses my attention on what God wants for me in the present moment.

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?

Integrity. The honesty, consistency and moral uprightness of those closest to us are foundational for healthy relationships.

Laughter and a silly sense of humor are constants in our home, but I must admit that comedian Brian Regan really makes me laugh.

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE AUTHOR?

HOW DO YOU DEFINE SUCCESS?

C.S. Lewis — so many great works.

The ultimate success is to hear “well done, my good and faithful servant” and to be welcomed in to heaven.

“Success” here on earth that leads to that outcome is how I would define success, so everything I do has its origin in that principle. Matthew’s Gospel says it all: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. And love your neighbor as yourself.

WHO IS YOUR FICTIONAL HERO? Gandalf from JRR Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. He exhibits such great virtue.

WHICH SAINT DO YOU TURN TO FOR INTERCESSION THE MOST? The Blessed Virgin Mary, by far!

Dr. Daniel Greene is a Michigan native and proud Spartan, having graduated from Michigan State University with a bachelor of science degree in 1987 and a medical degree from the MSU College of Human Medicine in 1991. He completed his residency training at Oakwood Hospital in Dearborn before moving to Rochester to begin medical practice at Ascension Providence Rochester Hospital. Dr. Greene is board-certified and a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

His medical practice involves the entire spectrum of women’s health care in obstetrics and gynecology with special interest in natural family planning/fertility awarenessbased methods (NFP/FABM). These methods provide excellent insights into the health and well-being of women. NFP/FABM is a wonderful method for achieving or postponing pregnancy based upon prayerful discernment and present medical situation.

While currently serving as chief of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department at Ascension Providence Rochester (APR), Dr. Greene also serves on APR’s Ethics Integration Committee. Dr. Greene earned his certification in health care ethics from the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia.

Dr. Greene loves the state of Michigan and is married to the love of his life, Elizabeth. They have been blessed with four wonderful sons, as well as a lively dog. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family, physical fitness, running, hiking, travel, music and reading.

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Father Thomas Lumpkin of Manna Meals, Day House, the prison system and the Catholic Worker house. His longstanding commitment to Detroit, to the poor and to the Church is to be commended.

He works hard and does 110 percent at everything.

I only know him by reputation … but everything he does is done with God’s love for his people.

-DIANE GRIFFITH, CHRIST THE KING PARISH, DETROIT

THE OFFICE MANAGER AT THE ST. RITA RECTORY IN HOLLY: NICOLE HAGLE. SHE IS WHO I LOOK TO FOR POSITIVE DIRECTION. THIS WOMAN IS THE VERY HEART OF OUR CHURCH. SHE IS THE GLUE THAT HOLDS IT TOGETHER. SHE HANDLES EVERYTHING. I MEAN EVERYTHING! SHE NEVER LOSES HER GREAT SENSE OF POSITIVITY. NO MATTER HOW OVERWHELMING THINGS ARE, SHE HANDLES IT. SHE ALSO KNOWS HOW TO DELEGATE AND SHARE THE BURDENS WITH THOSE OF US WHO ARE MORE THAN WILLING TO JUMP IN AND HELP. SHE IS A GREAT SOURCE OF STRENGTH. -CHERYL BURTCH, ST. RITA PARISH, HOLLY

Initially, after converting to Catholicism, my role model for humility became our Blessed Mother, Mary. Her obedience canceled out Eve’s disobedience. I also look to the brothers and sisters of my parish, who demonstrate this obedience every day in responding to the will of God. They lead people to Christ, just as our Blessed Mother does.

-KRISTEN STUDEBAKER, OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL PARISH, PLYMOUTH

THERE ARE MANY GREAT AND HUMBLE SAINTS IN HISTORY, BUT ONE WHO HAS ALWAYS INSPIRED ME HAS BEEN ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST. HIS COMPLETE COMMITMENT TO HIS MISSION, HIS DEFLECTION OF ALL ACCLAIM AND ATTENTION AND HIS HIS UNWAVERING POINTING TO THE ONE WHO WOULD COME AFTER ALL INDICATE A PROFOUND HUMILITY. HIS CLEAR ACCLAMATION — “HE MUST INCREASE; I MUST DECREASE” — IS THE MODEL FOR CHRISTIAN DISCIPLESHIP. BY ACCEPTING EVEN IMPRISONMENT AT THE WORD OF A TYRANT AND MARTYRDOM AT THE WHIM OF A PROSTITUTE, HE TRUSTED GOD TO VINDICATE HIM — WHICH HE DID. -ROGER THOMAS, ST. MARY PARISH, PORT HURON

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MY BROTHER JOHN. HE IS KIND AND GENEROUS AND WORKS BEHIND THE SCENES TO HELP PEOPLE WITH THEIR PROBLEMS AND ASKS NOTHING IN RETURN. HE HAS SET A WONDERFUL EXAMPLE OF HUMILITY AND IS OFTEN PRAISED BY THOSE HE HAS HELPED.

Jesus. He set himself aside. He ignored his personal wishes because he loved the common person and wanted to do good works. He never thought of himself as a lord; instead, Jesus humbled himself to all.

-SARA V. WAWRZYNIAK, ST. CHRISTOPHER PARISH, MARYSVILLE

-PEGGY SCHOENROCK, ST. CHRISTOPHER PARISH, MARYSVILLE

WHO DO YOU LOOK TO AS A

OF

AND DISCIPLESHIP? JESUS! HE IS THE TRUE MAN. IT HAS TAKEN MANY YEARS FOR ME TO REALIZE THAT, BUT HE FULFILLS EVERY DESIRE IN ME. HE IS NOT JUST “HUMBLE” BUT HUMILITY ITSELF. TRUTH INCARNATE. HE SHOWS US WHO WE ARE AND ASKS US TO FOLLOW HIM. SAYING YES TO HIM IN EVERYTHING IS HUMILITY. -JOE RUTKOWSKI, OUR LADY OF THE SCAPULAR PARISH, WYANDOTTE

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PHOTO E SSAY

St. Michael the Archa W H EN YO U EX PL AIN TO THE AVERAG E METRO DETROITE R T HAT T HE ARCHDIOCE SAN L IMI T S R EACH AS FAR S OU T H A S MON ROE, H E O R SHE MIGHT ASK, “ WHERE’S MON ROE?” S IT U AT ED OFF I-75 ON THE W AY O U T OF MICHIGAN A ND I NTO OHIO, MON ROE IS O N E O F T HE OLDEST CITIES I N T HE STATE, BUILT ON BLU E- CO LL AR IN DUSTRIAL W O RKERS AN D GEN E RATION S O F FA MI LI ES THAT DATE W ELL I NTO THE 18 0 0 S. MO NRO E’S SECON D-OLDE ST PAR I S H, ST. MICHAEL T HE A R CH ANGE L, STANDS O UT A S A L AN DMARK A LO NG T HE RIVER RAISIN NEA R D O WN TO WN. THE PAR I S H T HAT STARTED AS 1 4 GERMA N IMMIGRANT FAMI LI ES HAS GRO WN TO MO R E T HAN 1,0 0 0 R EGI ST ERED FAMILIE S W I T H A MI SSION F OCUSE D O N D I SCI PLESHIP MADE R EA L T HR OUGH FAITH, PR AY ER A N D SERVICE.

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St. Michael is the second-oldest parish in Monroe.

The cornerstone of the present church was laid June 12, 1866, and the building was consecrated in October 1867. The 187-foot steeple was added in 1883.

NAOMI VRAZO AND VALAURIAN WALLER, PHOTOGRAPHERS

ngel Parish

Monroe

“Parents are the primary evangelizers as well as the primary catechists and educators of their children. Their role is absolutely irreplaceable.�

Unleash the Gospel pastoral letter, 7.2 In a parish named for an archangel, it is fitting that within the stunning main altar stand the archangels Michael and Gabriel on either side of the crucifixion scene.

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Father Phil Ching speaks with an usher before Sunday Mass.

Father Phil has been the pastor of St. Michael since 2015.

Melody Setzler, kindergarten teacher at St. Michael’s Catholic School, with a class of students.

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Each year around Sept. 29, the parish spends a weekend celebrating its patron in the community — not just at Mass but with a variety of activities that range from a pig roast to a charity walk to a cornhole tournament.

“Prayer is the response of faith to the free promise of salvation and also a response of love to the thirst of the only Son of God.” CCC 2561

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Stephanie Bean, Young 5S teacher at St. Michael Catholic School, with two students.

Dr. Ray McLellan smiles from his seat at the organ in the choir loft of the church.

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Tucked away on the side of St. Michael’s is a grotto dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima. Recalling the miracle of the sun, parishioners are reminded of the promises Our Lady made to the three Portuguese children to whom she appeared in 1917.

Members of the St. Michael community of all ages gathered to assist in putting on the parish’s annual feast-day celebration. Teens from the local high school, St. Mary Catholic Central, volunteer to help run games for the younger children of the parish.

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

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C AT H O L I C F U N E R A L & C E M E T E RY S E RV I C E S

Remembering Our Loved Ones This Christmas

We love because He first loved us.

1 John 4:19

tmases reminisc e on Chris Although it’s sad to in we shall celebrate we knew, this year memor y of you. unshed sorrow with ever y We’ll put aside our te on all the jo y we tear, And concentra re here. shared when you we ristmas taught us what Ch Our time together ber ’s wh at we ’ll remem time is for, and that more. until we meet once

I T ’ S N E V E R T O O E A R LY T O S TA R T P L A N N I N G 313.879.3741 | cfcsdetroit.org Holy Sepulchre | Our Lady of Hope | St. Joseph Holy Cross | Mount Carmel | Mount Hope