Resurrection Magazine Spring 2022 Vol 3:1

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE CHURCH OF THE RESURRECTION

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LANSING, MICHIGAN

RE SU RRE C TI O N MA G AZINE EASTER 2022 | VOL 3:1

IN THIS ISSUE

PASSION FOR JESUS CHRIST

A REFLECTION ON GRACES RECEIVED AT RESURRECTION’S RECENT MEN’S RETREAT

LILY AND GRACE

One couple tells the story of their daughter and the marvels of God’s providential grace

A PLACE TO SERVE

One parishioner shares the history and ministry of Resurrection’s Altar Society

RESURRECTION MAGAZINE EASTER 2022 VOL 3:1 PASTOR FR. STEVE MATTSON EDITOR SEAN O'NEILL MANAGING EDITOR BEN POHL ART DIRECTOR SARAH FINK

IN THIS

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Located in the heart of the city of Lansing, the Church of the Resurrection exists to help everyone in our parish family live in the light and hope of the resurrection.

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CORLANSING.ORG

ISSUE

WITNESSES OF THE RESURRECTION FR. STEVE MATTSON

A HOLY ANOINTING BRIAN FINK

PASSION FOR JESUS CHRIST QUENTIN ABBOTT

IT'S NEVER TOO LATE JOANNE HANLEY

CELEBRATING THE TWELFTH NIGHT LIZ O'NEILL

LILY AND GRACE BEN POHL

A PLACE TO SERVE JOYCE RICHARDSON

THE REDEEMER COMES | AN ART

MEDITATION

MARY GATES

AWAKE, O SLEEPER | A POEM JOHN YOCUM

Welcome to Resurrection Magazine!

We have created this magazine to bear witness to what the Lord is doing in our midst. Our Risen Lord is blessing us richly, and we want to take this opportunity to share some of those blessings with you. Read and learn more about our parish and our rich Catholic faith! Please visit our website to read our past issues.

ON THE COVER Girolamo da Santacroce's The Resurrection (c. 1520s), oil on panel. For a meditation on the painting, see page 15.

FROM THE

EDITOR

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n this issue we contemplate the beauty of the resurrection, from which our parish takes its name, and rejoice along with the rest of the body of Christ that Jesus has won the victory over sin and death. That is the message that Fr. Steve, our pastor, proclaims in his article on page 4, as he exhorts us to take up our commission to spread the wonderful news of Christ’s victory to a world that desperately needs to hear about the salvation that has become accessible through Jesus.

And Jesus ascended into heaven so that we might receive the Holy Spirit, the advocate, who empowers us to live lives dedicated to serving the Lord. Brian Fink outlines for us, on page 5, the meaning of the sacrament of Confirmation, not just as a graduation ceremony but as a very real awakening of the Holy Spirit within the lives of those being confirmed.

The theme of being open to the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives was echoed in the Men’s retreat that took place in December of last year. Quentin Abbott describes, on page 6, how that message is so profoundly relevant to the times in which we live.

The focus of the retreat was on how men can respond to these last days of trial by taking up our role as witnesses to the Lord’s love, power and healing.

On page 8, Joanne Hanley gives a moving account of how her 94-year-old motherin-law, just before her death, returned to the Church after an absence of 70 years.

And on page 12 we read the testimony of

Tommy and Laura Demko, in which they tell of God’s mercy, comfort, and grace to them in their grief over the death of their baby daughter Lily. It is a powerful witness to how God can and does love us even in the midst of intense suffering.

In January of this year, we had our very first Twelfth Night Celebration, an evening of music, song, and poetry. The response to this event was very positive and Liz O’Neill, who emceed the evening’s entertainment, gives us an account, on page 10, of how the evening unfolded.

If you’ve ever wondered who decorates the altar for the liturgical seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter, or who provides candles, incense, and communion breads, or who caters funeral luncheons, then look no further than Joyce Richardson’s article on page 14. In it she describes the ministry of the ladies of the Altar Society and their valuable charitable works.

And in the last couple of pages in this issue we read Mary Gates’s regular feature giving a meditation on the cover art, and a poem by John Yocum celebrating the liberating power of the season of Easter.

These are uncertain times for all of us, but the contents of this issue remind us of how the Lord is faithful even in the midst of fear and suffering. He is not daunted, afraid, or weak, and this wonderful season bears witness to how His resurrection is a sign of hope for us all!

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FR. STEVE MATTSON

WITNESSES OF THE RESURRECTION

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A REFLECTION ON OUR HUNDREDTH YEAR AND OUR WITNESS IN THE HEART OF THE CITY OF LANSING

hrist is risen! He is risen indeed!

As amazing as it is to believe, this Easter is the hundredth time our parish has celebrated the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Alleluia!

We look forward to celebrating our hundredth anniversary this summer and fall, and especially as we recall the first Mass celebrated December 25, 1922.

What a great gift our parish and school has been, and continues to be, here in the heart of the city of Lansing!

By God’s grace (and our cooperation) we continue to witness to the Risen Christ. This is what Christians do: they witness. The first believers “held steadfastly to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers” (Acts 2:42). The Gospel spread far and wide, in response to the “Great Commission,” which Jesus gave before He ascended to the Father: And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the close of the age” (Mt 28:18-20). Such is our call, our mission, our reason for being. Our job is to pray, to witness, to teach, to baptize, to serve, and to be a constant witness of the presence of the Lord who is “with us always, to the close of the age.”

These are uncertain times, to be sure. But, the truth is, all times are uncertain. And the call is the same now as then: to trust the Lord and entrust all we do, those we love, and ourselves to the Lord. My desire for us as a parish is that we would live lives of dependency on the Lord, living faithfully and well. The first

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disciples are praying for us in our time. Let us, for our sake and for the sake of all the world, emulate their pattern of prayer, their pattern of discipleship, their pattern of loving service. We here, members of the Church of the Resurrection, are called to be witnesses in our world. May we be witnesses for the Lord, and together bear rich fruit for the Kingdom as men, women, boys, and girls encounter Jesus and come to a saving knowledge of God. As we begin this Holy Season of Easter, let us rejoice that the Lord is risen. This is our Patronal

"...Let us rejoice that the Lord is risen. This is our Patronal Feast Day, so let’s celebrate!"

Feast Day, so let’s celebrate! And not just a day, but an “octave.” A whole Season of rejoicing! As we celebrate and pray, let’s keep each other in prayer, encouraging one another, and supporting each other in our desire to live the Resurrection Life faithfully and well. In this year, our hundredth, may our lives be witnesses of the transformational power of the Holy Spirit—for ourselves, our family and friends, and for our community that so desperately needs Jesus. Come, Holy Spirit!

With prayers and gratitude, Fr. Steve

BRIAN FINK

A HOLY ANOINTING PREPARING YOUNG PEOPLE TO BECOME “LITTLE CHRISTS” THROUGH THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION

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he Confirmation Preparation Program, offered to the young people of our parish during their 8th-, 9th-, or 10th-grade year, consists primarily of regular gatherings with the candidates to discuss the truths of the faith, provide opportunities for the candidates to deepen their lives of prayer, enrich their understanding of the sacramental life of the Church, and allow them to consider more fully the question of God’s particular will for their lives. Drawing from a variety of ancient and modern philosophical and theological resources, the candidates also consider the power, presence, and role of the Holy Spirit.

At the moment of Confirmation, the minister of the sacrament (ordinarily the Bishop) performs two sacramental actions simultaneously. He anoints the candidate by tracing the sign of the cross on the candidate’s forehead with sacred chrism and – addressing each candidate by his or her Confirmation name – says, “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Historically, the Church tended to focus on Confirmation from the perspective of this holy anointing rather than the more contemporary understandings of the sacrament.

In the Eastern Church, the sacrament is referred to as “Chrismation,” which comes from the Latin verb “to anoint.” This sacramental anointing leaves an indelible mark on the souls of those being confirmed.

And as Baptismal grace confers new spiritual life, Confirmation directs that grace toward the service of God and His people through the seven gifts of the Spirit.

St. Hippolytus highlights this in one of the earliest accounts of Confirmation entitled The Apostolic Tradition (AD 215): The bishop, imposing his hand on them, shall make an invocation, saying, ‘O Lord God, who made them worthy of the re-

mission of sins through the Holy Spirit’s washing unto rebirth, send into them your grace so that they may serve you according to your will, for there is glory to you, to the Father and the Son with the Holy Spirit, in the holy Church, both now and through the ages of ages. Amen.’

"As Baptismal grace confers new spiritual life, Confirmation directs that grace toward the service of God and His people through the seven gifts of the Spirit."

As the primary catechist of the program for the last two years, I’ve tended to downplay any sense that Confirmation represents a spiritual graduation, or that it marks a transition from spiritual childhood to adulthood. To be sure, Confirmation provides the candidates with an opportunity to consider the ways in which God is calling them to participate more intentionally in the life of the Church, and many of the confirmandi have found ways to do so. However, Confirmation, while it completes the Sacraments of Initiation, also represents the beginning of something new in the life of those who receive it. The confirmandi take on new names, biblically reminiscent and symbolic of a new identity according to God’s plan for their lives. Sealed with the gifts of the Spirit, they are called to discover, pursue, and live full, joyful, self-sacrificing lives as anointed “little Christs”.

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QUENTIN ABBOTT

PASSION FOR JESUS CHRIST

QUENTIN ABBOTT REFLECTS ON GRACES RECEIVED AT RESURRECTION’S RECENT MEN’S RETREAT

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or me, as for many of my friends and family, both 2020 and 2021 were a spiritually difficult couple of years. As a college student at MSU, I can easily remember feeling anxious and in need of spiritual renewal and consolation.

For this reason, I am grateful for the men at Resurrection, who strive to love and serve the Lord and who take seriously the need to live out the Faith in a world opposed to the Gospel.

This past Advent, our parish hosted the “Men on Fire” retreat led by Peter Herbeck of Renewal Ministries and Bart Schuchts of the John Paul II Healing Center. When Fr. Steve first mentioned the retreat in a Sunday homily, I was excited at the opportunity for what I hoped would be a fruitful encounter with the Lord and a true source of

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Christian instruction. I had already heard from both speakers at previous events, both at our parish and at other events in our diocese. Most recently, I had the opportunity to attend the Healing the Whole Person retreat held in Plymouth last fall.

Knowing a little bit about the speakers, I knew the retreat would be beneficial for me for where I was in my life at that point in time. I was not disappointed.

The retreat opened with an address by Peter Herbeck, who focused on the fact that we are in the final age of salvation history. He quoted the Catechism: “Since the Ascension God’s plan has entered into its fulfillment. We are already at the ‘last hour’ (1 Jn. 2:18; cf. 1 Pet. 4:7). Already the final age of the world is with us, and the renewal of the world is irrevocably under way; [...]” and that, “According to

the Lord, the present time is the time of the Spirit and of witness, [...]” (CCC 670 and 672, respectively).

Peter urged us, as men, to be attentive to the times in which we live and to be honest with ourselves about how much passion we really had for fulfilling our mission of living as disciples of Jesus Christ.

This passion comes from encountering our Lord in an intimate way and by reading and meditating on the Scriptures; because it is through the Scriptures that our Lord speaks directly to us and shows us who we really are and who He made us to be.

In other words, there is a powerful connection between what we feel the Lord is doing in our own hearts and what He is calling us to do in the lives of our brothers and sisters throughout the world.

The second day of the retreat focused on the need for interior healing. Many of us have heard our pastor speak extensively about the need to recognize interior wounds and judgments in order to renounce vows that keep us from experiencing the joy the Lord has for us. Perhaps the most notable part of the day came when Bart gave his personal testimony about how the Lord really worked through his brokenness. While I had heard his testimony before, I could not help but find myself

moved by it again. His story really underscored something Peter had said earlier in the retreat: “The more you know the love of the Father, the more you will believe what He is telling you, and the greater confidence you will have about your mission in this world and your ultimate destiny in heaven.”

"The more you know the love of the Father, the more you will believe what He is telling you..."

Reflecting on the retreat as a whole, I would say that it is this message that struck me most. Our Lord says in St. John’s Gospel, “I have overcome the world” (16:33). It was by allowing Himself to be broken that He did this. So, the question is: how much do we believe the Lord can do with our brokenness? How much will we allow Him to do with our brokenness?

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Unknown Italian Sculptor | Sarcophagus with scenes from the Passion of Christ | c. 350 | marble

JOANNE HANLEY

IT'S NEVER TOO LATE

JOANNE HANLEY TELLS THE STORY OF HER MOTHER’S BEAUTIFUL RETURN TO THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

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n the very last day that my 94 year-old motherin-law was able to speak and have some semblance of consciousness, she came back to the fullness of the Church after being away for nearly 70 years! My dear mother-in-law, Ann Catherine Hanley (nee Herron), passed away in September. She died under hospice care in her home of over 60 years in Alexandria, Virginia, surrounded by her three devoted sons, and me.

Mom was born in the coal country of east central Pennsylvania in the small town of Tamaqua. Her father left the family when she was very young, and she led a challenged life. Mom was raised by her mother, as well as other relatives who took her into their homes over the years. She was brought up very Catholic. She went to Catholic schools, wore a miraculous medal pinned to her bathing suit for protection while swimming, was the “May Queen” in her senior year of high school, and still had humorous books on her bedside table about what it was like growing up Catholic in the ‘30s and ‘40s.

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When she married my father-in-law in the early 1950s, she stopped going to the Catholic Church. Dad’s family came from a long line of southern Baptists and so that is where they married. When the three boys came—three in three years—she took them to an Episcopal Church for a while, but that soon fell by the wayside with the busyness of life. She felt that she could not return to the Church because of her Baptist marriage and her decades of absence; she was catechized in a very different time.

When I became a Catholic in 2012, the only other Catholic in the family, Mom was quietly supportive. She gave me her rosary, her mantilla, and came to mass with me once. She even wrote a witness statement in support of my husband’s annulment from his brief first marriage.

But she refused to go back to the Church. Mom eventually went to a few meetings of lapsed Catholics at her local parish to gain new insight and understanding, but her health and mobility declined and she stopped going, without having all her questions answered. I asked her

once several years ago if, when the time came, I could call a priest to give her last rights. She said yes. She even wrote in her last will and testament that “Joanne should call a priest for last rites.” Well, that time did come. In early September, Mom went into the hospital and then rehab. When she came home she started deteriorating quickly. Her sons were there to help, and I went down to Virginia as well. She needed help with the bathroom, with eating, and she could barely speak.

"She felt that she could not return to the Church because of her Baptist marriage and her decades of absence."

On a Tuesday, I called the local priest, Fr. Tom, and told him about Mom and about our situation. He said he would come and visit in a couple of days, but by that evening Mom said softly to my husband, Matt, “I’m dying.” Matt immediately asked me to please call the priest right away; we could not wait.

Fr. Tom knew that Mom had been away from the Church for nearly 70 years and that she thought she was excommunicated. He was so incredibly kind and understanding, and he knew exactly what to say to this woman who, on her deathbed, needed Jesus. Fr. Tom was gentle with her while Mom, hardly able to speak, made her first confession in 70 years and was brought back into the Church. My husband and I knelt with Fr. Tom and held Mom’s hands as we all said prayers together – the Creed, the Hail Mary, Our Father, and Glory Be. Mom was whispering and moving her lips. It was one of the most Holy moments I’ve experienced. We were even witnesses when Fr. Tom gave her an Apostolic pardon.

That night was the last night Mom had any semblance of consciousness. I had prayed for her return to the Church since I became a Catholic over 12 years ago. She came back on the very last day that her body would allow her to do so. IT’S NEVER TOO LATE, and God’s timing is perfect.

Shortly after Mom passed away, I cried. But my tears were not tears of sorrow; they were tears of humble awe and gratitude for the generous love and grace that our Lord bestows on us. The immensity of what I had witnessed— Mom’s assurance of a holy death—made my heart ache with thanksgiving. I praise God for the mysteries and the blessings of our Catholic faith—and for His love, His salvation, His ways, His faithfulness, and His graces that are sufficient for exactly what we need at exactly the right time.

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LIZ O'NEILL

CELEBRATING THE TWELFTH NIGHT

LIZ O’NEILL RECOUNTS THE JOYOUS CELEBRATION OF “TWELFTH NIGHT" “If we shadows have offended, Think but this, and all is mendedThat you have but slumber’d here While these visions did appear.”

A Midsummer Night’s Dream (5.1.400 –03)

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fter I had agreed to be the emcee for Resurrection’s very first Twelfth Night celebration, I thought it might be a good idea to have this Shakespeare quote at hand. Good old Bill Shakespeare often found it politic to include an apology at the end of a night’s entertainment, and given the fact that this was a new event, it seemed likely that we would have to ask everyone’s forgiveness as we ironed out the practicalities of our first Twelfth Night celebration. However, thanks to the wonderful crowd and some very hard-working and talented people, the evening was filled with a joy that would have rivalled any old country celebration of the Twelfth Day of Christmas.

Drawing on a number of old traditions, Twelfth Night at Resurrection featured a culturally rich fare of both the culinary and the literary variety, and shone a warm light on an otherwise typically cold and gray January evening. Thanks to Mrs. Louann Dowsett and her Bible study group, as well as many other volunteers, Mercy Hall was transformed into a lovely olde worlde inn that provided a wonderful ambiance for an altogether wonderful night.

Our performers: poets, singers, and musicians were exemplary. “The Twelfth Night Singers” introduced our evening’s entertainment with some traditional carols and harmonies which delighted the audience.

Our poets: Luke Hansen and Jon James treated us to recitations of some compelling original works, and Ana Braga-Henebry read us a poem in its original Portugese, and her own translation of another work by a Brazilian Benedictine, Dom Marcos Barbosa.

We also welcomed a band of talented musicians; first, Jason Venema who raised eyebrows and delighted jazz lovers with an incredible jazz solo on his electric

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guitar, followed by Chuck and Will Bloomfield and children from both their families, whose banjo ensemble and singing had us cheering for more.

After an intermission and the entrance of our King (more about that in a moment) our hearts were quickly captured by Filomena Castriciano performing some of her own charming and wistful songs accompanying herself on the guitar. Our other guitarist, Ed Rivet, ‘blew the room away’ with some American guitar classics. His rendition of ‘Earth Angel,’ where he invited couples to get up and dance, proved to be a highlight of the evening.

The musical part of our live entertainment was beautifully concluded by The Twelfth Night Singers whose unique rendering of some well-loved carols had everyone enchanted and wishing for more.

"The evening was filled with a joy that would have rivaled any old country celebration of the last of the Twelve Days of Christmas.”

No celebration is worthwhile (at least this is our philosophy at Res!) without some delicious food and drink. It’s not an exaggeration to say that the buffet menu was a poem in its own right. Think British gastro-pub with American ingenuity.

Sausage rolls in pastry, bacon wrapped brussels sprouts… (I could go on, but I’m crying happy tears just thinking about it.) The pièce de résistance however had to be the dessert - The King’s Cake, a fruit cake of rare lightness and flavor. I can state this authoritatively because I ate several large slices of it. Lady Spalding of Groesbeck and her ladies in

waiting could not have prepared a more welcome repast. Lord Joel of Stanewich was in charge of the ale, and he and his merry men soon had us swilling our tankards and toasting their majesties.

Tommy Demko was crowned King of the Twelfth Night. King Tommy gave a brief but regal speech to us commoners and then sat with his royal family enjoying sweetmeats on a silver platter.

And that leads me to the ‘crowning’ moment of the evening, the discovery that in our midst there was indeed a member of the royal family; a king in fact.

All revelers were invited to check the base of their dessert plate for a small picture of the Baby Jesus, in order that our royalty could be crowned and treated as he deserved. To all but his own surprise,

It was a wonderful evening and a huge success with all those who attended. There are many people to thank for the event and I know that I have not named all of them. I beg their pardon and refer them to the words of William Shakespeare with which I began this article. You have all of our gratitude!

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BEN POHL

LILY AND GRACE

LAURA AND TOMMY DEMKO TELL THE STORY OF THEIR DAUGHTER LILY AND THE MARVELS OF GOD’S PROVIDENTIAL GRACE

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saw [the doctor’s] face and she was crying.

She said, ‘Your baby has no heartbeat.’” Laura and Tommy Demko were stunned. The pregnancy had been going smoothly. But when they arrived at the hospital in downtown Chicago that February day in 2016, things changed. The story of Lily Demko might seem like nothing more than a tragedy. And it is tragic. What could be worse than the death of a child? But through faith in the One who “makes all things new” (Rev 21:5), the Demko’s discovered a new kind of story.

One both tragic and charged with saving grace.

“She was perfect in every way and resembled her siblings,” Laura remembers tenderly, “with her dark sprinkling of hair, her chubby cheeks, her little button nose, her tiny lips. It looked like all she

needed to do was open her eyes or take a breath.”

Laura and Tommy spent some time alone with Lily, and then made the decision to bring the rest of their children up to the room to spend time together as family. “It would be our one day to all be together.” Later a priest would come and bless Lily and the family, followed by Laura’s parents.

“I remember as my mom was holding Lily and talking to her and all of a sudden it dawned on me, ‘This is the ‘yes.’ It wasn’t what I thought it would be, but this is the ‘yes’ I had promised.” All at once Laura saw that God was already at work in Lily’s story in a prayer she had made a few years prior.

“It was right around the corner of Wolcott and George streets.” The Demko family lived in Chicago at the time, moving to Lansing a few years after

The Demko Family (Gus, Laura, Violet, Poppy, Rosie, Blaise, and of course, Lily)

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Lily. “I was running and having this conversation with God, feeling frustrated with a culture that just didn’t align with our values. [It was] hostile towards children, towards imperfect children, towards new life. I remember saying, ‘God, you can give me any baby, any baby at all, and I wanna love that baby and welcome that baby.’” As Laura held Lily with her gaze, remembering this prayer, this “fiat” of her heart, she began to see the story that God was unfolding.

"I remember saying, 'God, you can give me any baby, any baby at all, and I wanna love that baby and welcome that baby.'"

The next morning, it was time to say goodbye to Lily. When the nurse came, it turned out to be a nurse who had met them the day before in triage.

She said, “I’ve been thinking about you and praying for you all day. May I pray with you before I take your baby?” In a large public hospital in downtown Chicago, “Light shined in the darkness” (Jn 1:5). The following day, Laura was preparing to be discharged.

Tommy knew the moment would be very difficult for Laura, leaving the hospital without a baby in her arms and seeing the empty carseat. “He went down to the lobby and came back carrying the biggest, most beautiful bouquet of white lilies. He handed them to me and said, ‘I didn’t want you to leave empty handed.’ I was so happy I had those lilies on my lap.’”

Another light, another grace for the days ahead.

The next few months were difficult, especially for Laura. She lived what the Salve Regina calls the “valley of tears.” “Life started going back to normal.

But I wasn’t normal. It was a feeling I had never experienced before.” But God would provide and presented the Demko’s with beautiful reminders that He was still at work. One of those touches came the Christmas after Lily died. Laura recalls it like it was yesterday. “Tommy and I went out to the cemetery, and she’s buried out in a vast Catholic cemetery in the suburbs of Chicago. And it had snowed the night before so there was just a blanket of snow covering the cemetery and all the headstones are flat.” They thought they would just leave the little poinsettia they had brought with them on the snow somewhere. “But Tommy convinced me, ‘No, no, we have to at least try to find her.’ So we walked up this section and he put his gloves on and he reached down in the snow and in the exact spot he put his hand and pulled the snow away we saw pink and we knew that was her pink granite. That was the best Christmas gift we could have had that year.”

More time would pass and soon the Demko’s found themselves awaiting the arrival of their fifth child.

The family was expecting a boy, knowing how much they yearned to hold a little girl. When they arrived at the hospital, Laura remembers feeling “a great relief just knowing that it’s going to be okay.”

On June 1, 2017, Lily Grace Demko was born.

Tommy and Laura call her their “saving grace.”

The Demko’s know life’s “valley of tears.” They walked through it. But their faith gave them sight.

Sight to see that Lily’s story, just like each of ours, is incomplete without a recognition of God’s grace.

May He give each of us the eyes to find Him at work in our stories, especially in their deepest valleys.

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JOYCE RICHARDSON

A PLACE TO SERVE

JOYCE RICHARDSON SHARES THE HISTORY AND MINISTRY OF RESURRECTION’S ALTAR SOCIETY

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remember as a young child going with my mom when she would clean and vacuum the altar at our church. That experience planted in me the importance of serving in my church. Later, as a young mom, I did just that by joining the Altar Society. At that time, I served in simple ways like occasionally providing a dessert for a funeral luncheon. I did join a circle when my children were school-aged, and it was an opportunity to have fellowship with other moms as we served the church by helping with fundraisers and attending events. Over time I was able to participate more in the Altar Society by joining its board as treasurer and then president. I can say that there are many events the Altar Society does that I am not able to participate in, but I love serving The Church of the Resurrection in any way that I can. I especially enjoy the “behind the scenes” service that the Altar Society gives to our church.

"I love serving The Church of the Resurrection in any way that I can. I especially enjoy the 'behind the scenes' service..."

The primary purpose of the Altar Society is to care for the altar. This means cleaning the sanctuary weekly and preparing the altar for the holy seasons (Lent, Easter, Advent, Christmas) and holy days. We also purchase items for the celebration of Mass (communion breads, candles, incense, etc.) and organize volunteers to assist the Sacristan in these duties. A great ministry we offer to the church is the serving of funeral

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luncheons. Volunteers prepare food, serve, and clean-up a luncheon for bereaved families. The luncheon coordinator coordinates assistance, and desserts are provided by circle members and others.

The Altar Society also promotes fellowship among women. Women can get involved in circles, which are small groups of women within the Altar Society that provide help at events hosted by the society. Our circles take turns providing desserts for funerals with the occasional assistance from non-circle parish members. Some circles meet regularly for fellowship while others communicate through email. Some circles have a specific focus such as decorating the church for holy seasons or homebound card ministry. We also host the Women’s Night of Reflection and Ladies Day Brunch. I have found that serving at our events and fundraisers has given me the opportunity to build relationships with many other women in our parish.

The Altar Society’s fundraisers include the pie sale, rummage sale, and pasties sale. All funds raised are used to purchase items needed for the celebration of Mass. A committee plans each fundraiser, but the help from many others is needed to make them a success. Anyone in the parish can volunteer to help on a fundraiser. Some of our past fundraisers have gone towards the kitchen in the hall and the refinishing & reupholstering of the altar servers’ chairs and kneelers.

We welcome all women of the parish to join the Altar Society. This is as simple as paying the $5 per year dues. How active you become in the Altar Society is up to you. We invite anyone to join a circle or just volunteer for an individual event by filling out the time & talent survey which can be found on the church website. For more information, please visit www.corlansing.org/ ministries/outreach or contact Joyce Richardson at richardsonjo@comcast.net or (517) 614-4902.

Girolamo da Santacroce | The Resurrection | c. 1520s | oil on panel

MARY GATES

THE REDEEMER COMES

A MEDITATION ON GIROLAMO DA SANTACROCE'S THE RESURRECTION

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h, happy fault, Oh necessary sin of Adam, which gained for us so great a Redeemer!

So great a Redeemer, who goes to the garden of agony, to the cross, to the tomb. So great a Redeemer, who takes on sin, who conquers death, who bursts forth from the grave. So great a Redeemer, who reigns victorious, who is meek and humble, who is warrior and king.

The great Redeemer comes in love to redeem.

He comes to pay my debt—a sum I cannot pay. For the wages of sin is death. And so the Redeemer comes. His plan to save revealed: exchanging with me my sin for His mercy, my suffering for His healing, my death for His life, my humanity for His divinity. The exchange of love, by the God who is love. The God who comes to redeem.

Having endured the passion and conquered the tomb, He reigns triumphantly resurrected. And I stand in awe at the stone rolled away, in awe of the Savior who lives. For the cost of my sin is death, a price the loving Redeemer has paid. May I, with all of heaven, sing His praise. May I hear the gentle suffering servant inviting me along, calling me to come with Him—asking me to follow Him to the garden, to the cross, the grave, to eternal life. Will I follow? Each day, every moment He calls, His mercies always new. Will I put down my nets and go?

Give up my pride, my sin, my ways, and go? Will I lay down my life for the One who gives me His? This, His plan of redemption; this, the exchange of love.

O Jesus, Victor! No one beyond your mercy, no one past your gaze. The God of all: born, suffered, died and risen for me, a sinner in need of a savior. Oh happy fault! Oh great Redeemer!

15

JOHN YOCUM

AWAKE, O SLEEPER Will flesh arise, surprised To find itself arrayed In garments of desire Attained, and fears allayed?

Unclad and without shame, Our race had once displayed A childish mental frame.

In bodies not yet made Immortal by firm choice, Sin left man weak and lame.

Now man arises whole And strong and firm of step, Sound through the Man who stole Death’s spoils from its grip.

The body heeds the voice That joins it to its soul.

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