Resurrection Magazine Easter 2023 Vol 4:1

EASTER 2023

VOL 4:1

IN THIS ISSUE

ENCOUNTERING THE LORD'S HEALING LOVE

Resurrection school children encounter the Lord’s healing love in their own Healing Encounter event

love though learning how to ride a bike

THE FOUR MEN FEAST

Men of the parish begin a new (and old) tradition of feasting

RESURRECTION MAGAZINE

EASTER 2023

VOL 4:1

PASTOR

FR. STEVE MATTSON

EDITOR

SEAN O'NEILL

MANAGING EDITOR

BEN POHL

ART DIRECTOR

SARAH FINK

IN THIS

ISSUE

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.

FIND US AT CORLANSING.ORG

7

10

12

14

4 5 6 8 15 16

DRAW US NEAR

FR. STEVE MATTSON

GROWING AS WOMEN OF GOD

LIZ O'NEILL

SHOWING THE WAY TO RESURRECTION LIFE

SEAN O'NEILL

ENCOUNTERING THE LORD'S HEALING LOVE

CHRIS & MARY GATES

TEACHING & SERVING

BEN POHL & STACIA DEVRIES

GOD'S HEALING LIGHT

SR. MARY LAWRENCE

BRINGING GLAD TIDINGS

JOEL STANEWICH

THE FOUR MEN FEAST WILL BLOOMFIELD

DRAWING CLOSE TO OUR LORD | AN ART MEDITATION

SR. TERESA MARIE

WHO IS JESUS? | AN ART PORTFOLIO SAM MATIAS

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

Matthias Stom's The Incredulity of Saint Thomas (c. 1641-1649), oil on canvas. For a meditation on the painting, see page 15.

EDITOR FROM THE

AHappy Easter to all of our readers! Easter is the pinnacle of the liturgical year. And it has a special significance for us as a parish, since we are the Church of the Resurrection. As we look back on the months that have passed since the last issue of the magazine, it is clear that the Lord continues to bless us, both individually and as a body.

On the next page, Fr. Steve, our pastor, opens this issue with his thoughts on how we may struggle to believe, like Thomas the apostle, but are not condemned by the Lord.

Sister Mary Lawrence gives testimony on page 10, to how the Lord healed her of shame and regret through the process of her learning how to ride a bike, and she shares how she has grown through that right of passage.

God has also allowed us to grow as a community through our parish formation programs. We read about the strengthening and inspiring effects of the Women’s Advent Retreat (page 5) which was given by Debbie Herbeck of Renewal Ministries, the new Waymarks formation program (page 6), which explores how someone can grow in the life of the Spirit, and the School Healing Encounter (page 7), which ministers to the students in our school by bringing an experience of God’s love through healing.

But, of course, we are not only inwardly focused on our own concerns. The Lord also wants us to share the riches of our life together with those outside our parish. On page 8, Stacia DeVries

explains the ins and outs of how Lansing Catholic High School (LCHS) reaches out to the poor by serving at the Mobile Food Pantry. And in December last year some dedicated members of the parish choir entertained and lifted the spirits of residents of the Gunnisonville Meadows and Robinwood Landing Memory Care facilities, by singing carols in four-part harmony. On page 12, Joel Stanewich reports back on how that unfolded.

And yet, our focus has not been only on overtly religious activities either. There are a number of cultural pursuits that parishioners have undertaken to enhance the tenor of the Christian life. On page 14, Will Bloomfield describes just such an event, called “The Four Men Feast,” which recreates the atmosphere of good food and drink, merriment, poetry and song in remembrance of the fictional journey that Hilaire Belloc took along with three of his cronies through the English countryside.

Sr. Teresa Marie provides a thoughtful meditation on the cover art: “Thomas Touching the Wound in Christ’s Side,” by the 17th-century Dutch painter, Matthias Stom. And lastly on the back cover is displayed a highly accomplished composite image of the life of Jesus by LCHS student, Sam Matias.

The Lord has filled us with good things and this beautiful season is a time of rejoicing in His goodness to us. This is what makes our way of life meaningful and full. So, let us rejoice and be glad!

FR. STEVE MATTSON

DRAW US NEAR

APPROACHING THE RISEN ONE DURING THE EASTER SEASON

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Once again, we gather with the entire Christian Church to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. It is also, of course, our parish Patronal Feast. We are blessed. We get to celebrate not only for a day, but for the entire Octave of Easter. As if that weren’t enough, we have an entire season of Easter to celebrate the joys of the Resurrection. The reason for rejoicing is obvious to those of us who believe. Death has been defeated. We are saved. We have hope for this life and the next. Light has triumphed over darkness, and we have been enkindled by Christ. We believe today in large measure because of the witness and martyrdom of the first believers. We have been handed down the truths and practice of the faith. Our place is to receive the Good News with joy, and to share the Good News with others. May we and all those who claim Christ as Lord, celebrate well the Resurrection throughout the Holy Season of Easter, anticipating with eagerness the further outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon us.

Throughout the Octave of Easter, we read different resurrection accounts at Mass. Each day, I find myself saying “this is my favorite account.” And then, the next day, “No, it’s this one.” Day after day, the Church offers us accounts of our Lord’s appearing to the first believers. I do not actually have a “favorite,” but I have to say I am rather partial to the account from John 20, which we read on Divine Mercy Sunday. The cover of this issue of our magazine includes a painting of the encounter captured in the latter part of the chapter, when Thomas meets the Risen Lord.

Thomas, as you will recall, was not present with the other disciples when Jesus appeared the evening of that first day of the week, when Jesus rose from the

dead. The other disciples told him they had seen Jesus. Perhaps like you or I would have, Thomas struggled to believe, and said, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” The next Sunday, Thomas was there, and Jesus again said those beautiful words, “Peace be with you.” After that, Jesus invited Thomas close to put his finger in his hand and his hand into his side. The encounter was one of love, and Jesus exhorted him (and us too!) by saying “Be no longer unbelieving, but believe.”

Such is the Lord’s condescension and grace. Jesus did not reject Thomas for having doubted, for having questioned. He showed Thomas his hands and his side, and invited him to believe. And Thomas worshiped, declaring before anyone else in the scriptures, “My Lord and my God!” May we join Thomas in worshiping and adoring our Risen Lord, and be encouraged that the Lord does not reject those who question; He draws them near.

With gratitude for our Risen Lord,

Fr. Steve Mattson

"Thomas worshiped, declaring before anyone else in the scriptures, 'My Lord and my God!'"

LIZ O'NEILL

GROWING AS WOMEN OF GOD

OVER 100 RESURRECTION WOMEN GATHER TO BE ENCOURAGED IN FAITH AND TO GROW IN FELLOWSHIP

In December of 2022, at our Advent Women’s Retreat, Debbie Herbeck of Renewal Ministries and Be Love Revolution, spoke to around 125 women on the themes of staying steady in the storm, and entering into the battle for our families.

Debbie’s first talk focused on the life of Mary, the Mother of God. When Mary was addressed by a terrifying angel, she still had the courage to question how the things he was telling her might come true. Debbie pointed out that it’s okay to ask God questions. Similarly, despite the impact of her own pregnancy, the first thing Mary does is to travel to her kinswoman, Elizabeth, to help her in her time of need. Debbie encouraged us to support others even if we feel overwhelmed by our own lives.

Here are some of the things that the women who attended said about the retreat:

“It was a lovely blessing to open the season of advent in fellowship and prayer with the women of the parish. Debbie was such a powerhouse speaker! She brought insight and encouragement to the morning.” – Anna

“The retreat was a perfect opportunity to set the tone for Advent! I was blessed to share the experience with all my girls in attendance! […] Debbie inspires me to keep growing in faith with the women in my life; sharing our faith journey.” – Kristie

“At my table we had some inspiring conversations and I could feel the love of God all around us.” – Brenda

“Most striking to me is the way Resurrection women really want to be together. All ages of women coming together to just BE Christian women. I always meet new people and re-connect with old friends.” – Lynn

For the second talk, Debbie acknowledged that these are dark times, and that many people are feeling tempted to despair or anxiety over what they are seeing. She spoke about interceding for our families and friends, and about staying steady through a faithful prayer life. Debbie suggested to us that as women we are a secret weapon in God’s fight against the forces of evil.

“Debbie was very vulnerable about how she is still in the battle and gave great points about the battle. I personally had been struggling with a particular memory that was causing me a lot of pain. After the retreat, the pain was gone and continues to be!”  – Sr.

Mary Lawrence

Our event was blessed by the fact that so many women took time out of their busy lives on a Saturday morning in December, to put God first. The result was a wonderful event which left us renewed in faith and warmed by fellowship.

"As women we are a secret weapon in God’s fight against the forces of evil."

SHOWING THE WAY TO RESURRECTION LIFE

THE CHURCH OF THE RESURRECTION INTRODUCES THE NEW WAYMARKS PROGRAM

Waymarks is a multimedia program primarily for groups in our parish – although it can also be used by individuals – which takes someone from their first encounter with the Lord, through growth in the life of faith, to establishing a stable and fruitful spiritual life.

of each of the reflections. Both the video and the audio are now on our parish website.

If a group is going through the reflections, the members might begin each meeting with a prayer, read the reflection or listen to the audio, and then watch the video together before discussing the topic in the group. A group or individual might choose to go through all 20 reflections sequentially, or may choose one or more modules, or even individual topics to discuss as seems most appropriate for the group at any given time.

It was quite a task trying to organize the video shoots and several of them had to be canceled and rescheduled. The whole process took almost a year! But in the end I think the videos turned out very well and look and sound professional, thanks to the participants’ insights on the topics they were given and Jay Jong’s expert video-editing skills.

The program came about after we collated into a book 20 of the reflections we had been presenting on the Resurrection Life Podcast. In the Waymarks book the reflections are divided into 4 modules: Setting Out, Going Deeper, Healing Love, and Responding to God.

We were looking for a way that groups could easily tackle the various topics, so we came up with the idea of developing a series of videos to accompany the reflections in the book. Each video consists of two people having a discussion on one of the topics. The videos act as a starting point for discussion by a group going through the program. There is also an audio presentation

Here is what a couple of our video participants had to say about the project:

“My hope is that by being real about my faith and my struggles [those who watch] will be encouraged.” - Paul

“I think the project is pretty cool…I hope that this can be a simple model for people to start going in depth with the Lord and with other disciples.” - Tim

I am very pleased with the way this program has turned out and I hope that groups in the parish will be able to use all, or part, of the material for a long time to come.

Waymarks program materials can be found on our website at corlansing.org/waymarks

"[The Waymarks program] takes someone from their first encounter with the Lord, through growth in the life of faith..."

CHRIS & MARY GATES

ENCOUNTERING THE LORD'S HEALING LOVE

RESURRECTION SCHOOL CHILDREN ENCOUNTER THE LORD’S HEALING LOVE IN THEIR OWN HEALING ENCOUNTER EVENT

The Resurrection motto, "cor ad cor loquitur," heart speaks to heart, drives not only parish and adult ministries, but also Resurrection School’s approach to education. Above all, the school exists to partner with parents in helping form young people in the faith. As Fr. Steve reminds us, we are made to receive God’s love and to give it away. The opportunity for our children to be in an environment that values encounters with the Lord is a great gift - one that we as parents do not take for granted. Mass, confession, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, and teachers who model and teach the faith in and out of the classroom are invaluable and formative avenues of grace. So too is the chance to pull back from the day to day busyness of life in order to retreat with the Lord. Twice a year, Resurrection students are given the chance to do just that.

Each school year, once during Advent and once in the Lenten season, school work is set aside for student retreat days. Our children first attend Mass and then participate in service projects and listen to testimonies from high school students and adults. Then, following a similar format to the bimonthly parish Healing Encounter events, students gather in the church, bring candles up to prepare a ‘burning bush’ structure and, led by Ms. Guine, they participate in praise and worship while while adoring the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. They also have the opportunity to pray with a prayer team, sharing particular intentions and seeking God’s grace.

These retreats, days set aside for the students to experience God’s love for them, have been a great gift to our children as they have been renewed by His love. We often hear about the great talks, the powerful experiences of prayer, and the feelings

of peace and joy. For the adults who make up the prayer teams, what is most notable is the fact that nearly all of the students come forward to

receive prayer ministry, and each one of them, kindergarteners through eighth-graders, with open hearts. In those moments, we see our motto, "cor ad cor loquitor," play out in God’s providence. Praise God for His goodness in pouring out His grace so that our children can know His love more deeply and give it away to others.

BEN POHL & STACIA DEVRIES

TEACHING & SERVING

For the last 10+ years, Lansing Catholic High School has partnered with the Greater Lansing Food Bank and the City of Lansing to provide groceries and care to those in need. Stacia DeVries, Coordinator of Service Events at LCHS, has played a huge role in growing this relationship, which gives students the opportunity to truly love their neighbor. “I feel that helping people in the community is really important. Giving them food but also giving them a smile or talking with them is an amazing part of the food pantry as well” (Anna).

The mobile food pantry serves around 350

households on average each month, and Lansing Catholic currently hosts the event three times per year. “We start at 6:30am and open the entrance at 7:00am,” Stacia tells us. “The city comes later and unloads the food; then Lansing Catholic provides the manpower to sort and distribute the food. My favorite part is watching our kids interact with each other and the people who come through.”

While households wait in their cars in the staff parking lot, Lansing Catholic students and parents offer the visitors juice, water, and breakfast snacks. “Whenever I help I’m always on the team that

LANSING CATHOLIC PARTNERS WITH THE GREATER LANSING FOOD BANK TO FEED THOSE IN NEED

SR. MARY LAWRENCE

GOD'S HEALING LIGHT

SISTER TELLS OF GOD’S REDEEMING LOVE THOUGH LEARNING HOW TO RIDE A BIKE

One of my favorite quotes is: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who lived in a land of gloom a light has shone” (Is 9:2). When we are struggling with our wounds we are walking in darkness, and when we receive God’s healing light it breaks through our land of gloom. Sometimes we don’t even know we’re walking in darkness until the Lord shines His light. A significant way the Lord shone a light in my life was when I learned how to ride a bike in 2022.

It began when Stacia DeVries informed me of a vision she had of me riding a bike, after I’d released to Jesus the fear of my mom dying of COVID, which was a grace since she was suffering greatly from the virus. I prayed about the vision with Fr. Paul Erickson and was able to see how God was teaching me about freedom and control. We also prayed through the shame I had carried my whole life, every time someone found out that I didn’t know how to ride a bike. I reflected that

behind every missed milestone in someone’s life is probably a sad story. When you find someone in this situation, I would encourage you to ask about that story.

As a child I never learned how to ride a bike because my family was under an extraordinary amount of stress, and my parents were doing the best they could. I told myself over the years that it didn’t matter, but that was just my way of coping with the pain and disappointment. During this process of healing, I also had to forgive myself for never learning how to ride, and I had to forgive my family.

I knew that I needed to learn how to ride a bike because that would make Jesus happy. However, at that time it was January. In addition, we didn’t have any bikes at our convent. But when I know I need to do something, and I know God wants me to do it, I know it will work out.

I began the great adventure of learning how to ride a bike in March 2022. My community of Sisters were

thrilled and willing to help. They didn’t fully understand how monumental and healing this was for me, but they knew that learning to ride was important to me, and so it was important to them. I was finally cruising, after spending many, many hours trying to learn in our church parking lot. My legs were covered in bruises, but I offered the pain and humiliation for my family. Learning how to bike in a religious habit at 34 years old on asphalt was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. But, it has brought freedom and joy.

Here are some lessons I’ve learned from my bike riding experience:

1. There is freedom on the other side of the pain. The healing process is painful but worth it.

2. I fell constantly during my learning, but I had the grace to get back up and so do each of us.

3. My healing of learning how to ride a bike gave other people a chance to be generous and to love me. The Sisters went from zero bikes to five in the course of eight months, all of which were donated. When we receive healing, it affects others, brings people closer together, and is a cause for rejoicing.

4. God redeems everything. My family of origin

was unable to help me learn how to ride a bike, but my family of Sisters and the people at Resurrection were. Maybe you didn’t have the familial support you needed either for some of the milestones in your life,

but God can redeem that in His time and in His way. 5. This may be my most poignant lesson: I had to give up the hope of a better past. I had to give up what I would have wanted to be my bike story. But the story God wanted for me involved a lot of love from a lot of people and deep gratitude for the ability to ride after nearly 30 years.

6. It recently struck me that Stacia told me about her vision outside the trophy case at LCHS. God brought about a mighty victory in me when I learned how to ride a bike. I know He wants to do the same for you.

"I now ride my bike every chance I get, and I can’t help but smile every time and thank God for all the people who helped me in my healing journey."

JOEL STANEWICH

BRINGING GLAD TIDINGS

MEMBERS OF THE RESURRECTION CHOIR SHARE THE JOY OF CHRISTMAS

My wife and I have been blessed to be members of the Church of the Resurrection adult choir for over 19 years. The choir has an enduring legacy of producing sacred music which beautifies the 11:00 AM Mass. In December of 2022 we felt a strong desire to share this beauty outside of our parish, and thus began a “Christmas Caroling Quest.” With the commitments of seven talented and dedicated members and the blessing of our leader, David Stattelman, I called several local facilities and the idea was enthusiastically received.

Planning the music selections involved multiple people, sessions, and sources including classic English carol books. The final song list included beautiful choral pieces, like "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming," along with a few popular favorites like "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing." We pulled four-part harmony pieces from the music we were practicing for the upcoming Christmas weekend.

On the Tuesday of Christmas week we arrived at the Robinwood Landing Memory Care facility about 6:30 pm where residents lined the hall in anticipation of some quality music. After the

group gathered in the dining room, our ensemble of six sang six selections while residents and guests swayed with the music and sang along as they heard a familiar tune. We finished to kindly applause and left the building enthused and warmed by the spirits we had raised.

Several parishioners were in residence at our next stop, Gunnisonville Meadows. This experience was much more personalized and peace-filled.

"In December of 2022 we felt a strong desire to share this beauty outside of our parish, and thus began a 'Christmas Caroling Quest.'"

We were joined by a second bass voice and guided by a staff person through the hallways, stopping to ask residents whether they would enjoy some caroling. There were a good number of takers, and we sang a few songs to each while enjoying the intimate acoustics. Reflecting on the evening over a nightcap, we ended by singing a rousing "Gaudete, Gaudete Christus est Natus" to a barkeep and server who listened attentively to our ensemble, the very last patrons in their establishment.

I think this experience may well have brought the beauty of the season to the individuals into whose

rooms we crowded. What we wholeheartedly agree on is how an evening of caroling crystallized the meaning of the season. Each of us recalls a special moment or connection. Mine was seeing residents smile and ask for an encore, and joining in the singing of a song they knew.

We are thankful for our adult choir, the members who joined that evening, and our God-given talents. By sharing them with others these blessings are magnified. The choir has a new tradition we intend to continue on an annual basis, although maybe prior to the very week of Christmas!

WILLIAM BLOOMFIELD

THE FOUR MEN FEAST

MEN OF THE PARISH BEGIN A NEW (AND OLD) TRADITION OF FEASTING

For about the last five years, each Fall, I have been attending a delightful event called the Four Men Feast. The feast features beer, bacon, eggs, bread, poetry, songs, toasts, and (of course) fraternity. And while the whole evening is lighthearted and fun, at the heart of our feast is a current of joyful and thankful praise of the Most Blessed Trinity and veneration of our Blessed Mother, Mary.

The Four Men Feast was inspired by a book of the same name written by the great English writer Hilaire Belloc. Belloc was a bellicose defender of all things Catholic. His was not a gloomy Catholicism. Rather, Belloc saw the good in creation as a reflection of the loving goodness of the Creator. A famous poem of his accents this point: “Wherever the Catholic sun doth shine, there’s always laughter and good red wine. At least I’ve always found it so. Benedicamus Domino!” Amen. His friend G.K. Chesterton had a similarly Catholic view: “Drink because you are happy, but never because you are miserable.”

In the Four Men Feast, Belloc gives a fictional account of four friends walking across County Sussex in England. Throughout their walk, the men tell stories, sing songs, and recite poetry. It is a mixture of the silly and profound. At the end of their walk, on All Souls Day, the men hold a feast featuring the aforementioned fare. One of Belloc’s characters, Grizzlebeard, notes the marvel of bacon: that a pig can only be cured after it is dead. Indeed, bacon is truly a marvel and a proof of God’s goodness and love.

In recent years, inspired by this book and its concluding feast, Catholic men have begun to host their own Four Men Feasts. A friend of mine brought the tradition from Minnesota to Ann Arbor. Last year some men from our parish and I brought the feast to Lansing where

it was graciously hosted by parishioner Matt Clark. We intend to host another feast this Fall.

It may seem like an insignificant thing, but I’ve come to see feasts of this sort as essential to the restoration of Christian culture. Catholic culture has always beautifully balanced fasting with feasting at appropriate times throughout the year as both the liturgical and natural seasons change. Contra Chesterton, too often people eat and drink when they are miserable; and they never fast, which ironically robs the feast of its meaning and even of its pleasure.

As with Belloc’s book, our poems, songs, and toasts are a mixture of the silly and profound. Ideally, each of the men memorizes something to share, which is usually done outside, around a fire. Sadly, modern man has mostly lost this capacity for reciting poems or singing songs. Few us know anything by heart anymore, instead simply consuming massproduced “pop” entertainment. In a small way, the Four Men Feast seeks to remedy this.

I hope to see many men at this year’s Four Men Feast!

"Catholic culture has always beautifully balanced fasting with feasting at appropriate times throughout the year as both the liturgical and natural seasons change."

SR. TERESA MARIE

DRAWING CLOSE TO OUR LORD & GOD

A MEDITATION ON THE INCREDULITY OF SAINT THOMAS

“Peace be with you.” These are the first words that fill Thomas’ ears from the mouth of the risen Lord. “Peace.” How troubled was Thomas’ heart before this, questioning everything he thought he knew to be true. Even when the disciples gave testimony of Jesus’ appearance to them, Thomas could not pull himself from the darkness of doubt that burdened him, saying, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

hands and side to Thomas, a wordless and gentle gesture that spoke of His love for Thomas. Thomas had been heavy-laden with doubt, refusing to believe and feeling so alone, yet all that time Jesus was listening to him and was with him. Jesus had heard everything Thomas had wrestled with in his heart the week before and, in His love, presented him with the very thing he asked for in order to believe: the wounds of His hands and side. Perhaps both from seeing the wounds of the risen Lord and realizing that Jesus had been with him all along, Thomas cried out his belief, “My Lord and my God!”

Now Thomas sees Jesus standing before him, wishing him peace even when he refused to believe in Him. Still more, Jesus presents His wounded

In the hymn “Adoro Te Devote,” we sing, “I am not like Thomas, wounds I cannot see; But I plainly call thee Lord and God as he; This faith each day deeper be my holding of; Daily make me harder hope and dearer love.” No, we are not in the same place as Thomas in the sense that we can see the wounds of Christ, but we are reminded by Christ Himself that “Blessed are those who haven’t seen me, yet still believe.” Jesus asks for our trust in Him. He asks that we have faith that He loves us, even when all is dark and we have no sight of Him, and even when we may not feel His love. He asks that in these hard moments, we reecho the words of St. Thomas and St. Faustina in our hearts, saying, “My Lord and my God, I trust in You!”

"Thomas had been heavy-laden with doubt...yet all that time Jesus was listening to him and was with him."

The concentration for my independent art portfolio is "Who is Jesus?" I chose this theme because of the deep love that I have for Christ and for the ways that He has revealed Himself to me in the past few years. In my pieces I have gone through the life of Jesus and tried to display His identity as a human person. It has been really moving to see the fruits of my work, and I hope that all who look upon my artwork will feel the love of Christ!

Sam Matias is a senior at Lansing Catholic High School.