Resurrection Magazine Fall 2023 Vol 4:2

FALL 2023

4:2

IN THIS ISSUE

THE GAZE OF CHRIST

How one family experienced the love of Jesus in the Eucharist at the Catholic Youth Summer Camp

How the Men’s Breakfast is connecting men with one another

A WITNESS OF HOPE

A reflection on building relationships with fellow disciples

IN THIS

ISSUE

FALL 2023

VOL 4:2

PASTOR

FR. STEVE MATTSON

EDITOR

SEAN O'NEILL

MANAGING EDITOR

MARY GATES

ART DIRECTOR

SARAH FINK

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

BEGINNING AGAIN

FR. STEVE MATTSON

THE RICHES OF THE EUCHARIST AN INTERVIEW WITH CRYSTAL GALER

COMING TO KNOW JESUS

TIM HARKEN

7 YOU ARE UNCOMMONLY LOVED AN INTERVIEW WITH BARBARA DION

FELLOWSHIP & FRIENDSHIPS: STARTING THE DAY OFF RIGHT WILL BLOOMFIELD

10

12

13

14

4 5 6 8 15 16

THE GAZE OF CHRIST AN INTERVIEW WITH THE KOGUT FAMILY

A NEW PENTECOST

SEAN O'NEILL

MOVING FORWARD IN THE LORD

FR. STEVE MATTSON

A WITNESS OF HOPE

CHRIS GATES

HIS PLAN UNFOLDS | AN ART MEDITATION

MARY GATES

LOVE (III) | A POEM

GEORGE HERBERT

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

Giotto di Bondone's Birth of the Virgin (c. 1303 - 1305), a fresco in Italy's Scrovegni Chapel was chosen as the cover photo as we celebrate the nativty of the Blessed Virgin Mary on September 8. For a meditation on the painting, see page 15.

EDITOR FROM THE

This issue sees a change of personnel. Ben Pohl who has been doing an excellent job as the managing editor of the Resurrection Magazine is stepping back from editorial duties and is now replaced by Mary Gates (you will be familiar with Mary through her thought-provoking meditations at the back of many of the issues of this magazine – see page 15). A huge thank you to Ben for all the work he has put into making this magazine such a success. We welcome Mary on board and I look forward to working with her to explore the various ways that the Lord is blessing our parish, which we celebrate through high-quality articles.

The Lord has blessed our parish, and continues to bless our parish, abundantly. On page 14, Chris Gates relates how the Lord answered his prayer by providing life-giving relationships in the parish, from which he receives support on the journey to God. And on page 8 and 9, Will Bloomfield explains how the Lord is blessing the relationships of many other men in our parish community through the weekly men’s breakfast.

It is also a blessing to us that our parish can offer so many events to enhance the life of our members, such as the quarterly Intercessory Prayer Meeting (page 12), the Women’s Lenten Retreat (page 7), and the Catholic Youth Summer Camp (pages 10-11). At the Youth Summer Camp in particular, some of the youth of our parish

experienced the presence of the Lord in a powerful, almost tangible way.

The presence of the Lord is most palpable in the Holy Eucharist. Crystal Galer gives witness to how the Lord is transforming her through spending time in adoration every Friday before the Blessed Sacrament (page 5).

It is worth remembering that being part of a parish also means looking outward and in his article on page 13, Fr. Steve, our pastor and the dean of the newly created Lansing Deanery, outlines his plans for developing relationships between the constituent parishes and what we can expect to see going forward. And, on page 4, he also reflects on how we can remain faithful to our calling as we begin a new academic and liturgical year..

What the articles in this issue tell us is that, despite what sometimes feels like the end times, the Lord is still at work to encourage us, to break into our lives with His love, and to inspire us to live lives of goodness, truth, and beauty. And so, we continue on in the joy of the Lord, not looking back with regret to the past, nor looking forward with apprehension to the future. As C.S. Lewis famously remarked, “The present is the only time in which any duty can be done or any grace received.” So let us seek the Lord in the present moment and rejoice that he has chosen us to be part of His kingdom.

WELCOME TO OUR NEW MANAGING EDITOR

Resurrection parishioner Mary Gates is married to Chris and is mom to their five children: Charlie, AJ, Lucas, Stella and Gus. Mary teaches freshman theology at Lansing Catholic High School and enjoys freelance writing, especially when it involves helping to communicate people's stories of how God has worked in their lives.

FR. STEVE MATTSON

BEGINNING AGAIN

FR. STEVE ENCOURAGES US TO RECOMMIT TO THE LORD AS WE BEGIN THIS SCHOOL YEAR

Throughout the year, we all experience a host of new beginnings. Some are obvious. Each January 1, we begin a new calendar year. This year on December 3, we will begin our new Liturgical Year. We recently began the new school year, which is also for us and many parishes the beginning of a new year/season of formation. Our lives are filled with new beginnings, which often grow out of remembering God’s goodness to us, and His call to greater discipleship and holiness.

an even more effective place of genuine encounter with the Love of God.

God is Love

I take these words of Pope Benedict XVI, from his first encyclical, Deus Caritas Est, as a principle that informs my ministry as pastor: "Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction . . . . Since God has first loved us (cf. I Jn 4:10), love is now no longer a mere 'command'; it is the response to the gift of love with which God draws near to us." As I see things, our response to this gift of God's love is to strive, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to help others encounter the One who is Love, the One who "draws near to us." As a parish, I hope and pray that together we will strive to grow in our love of God and neighbor and to share that love with others.

First Things First

As some of you know, back in 2012, Fr. Mark Rutherford and I were called by God to serve here. As we prepared, I wrote my first bulletin article for the weekend of July 1. Here are some excerpts, which still resonate with me, and call me to be more effectively the shepherd this flock. This new year, I’m eager to “begin again” this great work, now in company with other parishes in our parish group and other parishes within our deanery.

Encountering Christ

My priesthood has been marked by a strong desire to help others encounter Christ in a powerful, lifechanging way. I am thankful for the long legacy of evangelization, discipleship, and service that has marked this great parish. I look forward to building on the strong foundation that has been established here. Together, let us prayerfully labor to make our parish

The ground of encounters with Christ is tilled and fertilized by prayer. Prayer must begin, sustain, and be the end of all our efforts. As Fr. Mark and I begin our service here, we are resolved to continue the strong legacy of prayer at this parish and school. As we move forward, may Resurrection parish (and school) be even more widely known as a place of prayer, a house of prayer, a school of prayer. If that happens, then our various apostolates—our school, the hospital, ministry to the young and old, and especially to the “least of these”—will radiate our witness in this city that so desperately needs Jesus.

I think the Lord has honored our intentions, and blessed us greatly, thanks in large measure to the wonderful team we have working here along with parishioners who give so much in terms of witness and service. Keep praying, if you would, for the staff of our parish, and the future collaboration in our Parish Group and Deanery. Let us together . . . begin again.

"Our lives are filled with new beginnings, which often grow out of remembering God’s goodness to us."

MARY GATES

THE RICHES OF THE EUCHARIST

AN INTERVIEW WITH CRYSTAL GALER ABOUT HOW EUCHARISTIC ADORATION TRANSFORMED HER LIFE

Every Friday from 9am-6pm, the Eucharist is exposed in the monstrance at Resurrection and the faithful are invited to adore Christ. The Resurrection school children, parishioners, and community members show up to gaze upon God Himself as He gazes upon them, His beloved.

More than a year ago, Crystal Galer signed up for her first scheduled hour in adoration. The parish hosted an overnight time of adoration and asked parishioners to sign up to come and pray. Crystal hesitated, but felt a tug on her heart. “My first time was at 2am. I enjoyed the middle of the night because it seemed easier to prayI didn’t feel like anyone was looking at me, and the silence drew me in.”

Crystal felt called to make her time at adoration a regular occurrence. “I felt like I needed to sign up. I thought ‘if I put my name down, someone else will see that I said I’d be there’. So at first it was the commitment that I needed. But quickly it changed to something I looked forward to every week.”

Crystal quickly found her time before the Blessed Sacrament to be healing. “Adoration is like therapy - it really is. Throughout the week I find myself thinking ‘I can’t wait for adoration - I can’t wait to have this or that conversation, or to let this out.’ It’s strengthened my prayer life, and that carries over to the rest of my life. Overall, I feel much calmer - I don’t feel as worried as I used to - I used to be anxious and I

don’t have that anymore, and I definitely think that’s because of the regular time in front of Jesus in the Eucharist. It’s even changing our family - my daughter says I come home lighter. I’ll take that!”

While much of her prayer time consists of Crystal bringing her heart to the Lord, there have been times that she’s felt His presence in surprising ways. “There have been a few times when I have suddenly felt very moved. I have things in my heart that I wrestle with and there have been times when I’ve felt very moved with emotion and I know He is with me. Usually, these powerful moments haven’t been things I’m consciously thinking about, just things that He reminds me of. And then that allows me to be even more open.”

Having been transformed by her time with Jesus in Adoration, Crystal encourages others to come when they can, and to consider signing up for a weekly hour. “I love it so much. I’d tell everyone to just try it. I’ve never come out feeling worse, I always feel better than when I got there.”

Are you willing to spend an hour in Eucharistic Adoration? Visit corlansing.org to sign up!

"I used to be anxious and I don’t have that anymore...because of the regular time in front of Jesus..."

COMING TO KNOW JESUS

HOW WATCHING THE CHOSEN FOREVER CHANGED TIM’S RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

We all suffer from conditions we need to be rescued from, and only Jesus can do that. As a child, I was instilled with a deep belief in Jesus, but after I experienced a series of traumas, I blamed God for allowing me to suffer. I rebelled against Him for the better part of 20 years, and society seemed to offer many resources to soothe my suffering. I had no real relationship with Jesus at all. How could I? I didn't know Him. Sure, I knew who He was. I had the best parents in the world, and they instilled in me from my early childhood knowledge and a belief in Jesus. But my seemingly endless bad choices in life resulted in my never knowing Him.

God. I knew that He walked the earth, conducted His ministry, and even suffered, but although I knew He was a man, it never struck me of the importance of that reality.

The Chosen series creators set the stage for this possibility to know Jesus by portraying Jesus as seen through the eyes of His Apostles and those He called – the Chosen. His Chosen. His apostles are not the old men in Michaelangelo-type paintings I’ve seen all my life; they are normal, average, every-day guys. They were: four blue-collar fisherman; an architect; a vineyard manager; a tax collector; a revolutionary; a singer; a stonemason; a businessman; and a religious follower. And Mary Magdalene, a woman from the red quarter, possessed by seven demons. They could be the crowd at Flap Jack on a Saturday morning! They could be you. They could be me!

I would hardly describe myself as an evangelist, but the life changing experience I have had from watching this series has prompted me to share it. It is my greatest hope that those who suffer from having no relationship with Jesus find The Chosen and allow God to change their lives.

I knew of Jesus from Sunday mass and the Gospels. Awesome stories, and I didn’t deny their truth, but portrayals of Jesus’s life and the lives of the apostles weren’t relatable. I never felt anything stirring within me (except feelings of guilt and shame). I desperately wanted a relationship with Jesus.

The Chosen was already into Season 2 before I ever even thought of watching it. For 53 years, I had known the narrative that Jesus ‘became man’ but was still

Father Steve graciously allowed us to screen season one of The Chosen in Mercy Hall early this summer. The beauty of the show was tremendously enhanced by the group discussions. Beginning in October we will show season two. We are planning a potluck lunch beginning at 2pm - we will share a meal, watch an episode, and break out into small groups. I believe it’s almost like a mini example of what Heaven must be like; people being touched by Jesus and coming together in faith and praise of our Lord. I think it’s a terrific plan and am praying for it to be a successful endeavor.

" ... portrayals of Jesus’s life and the lives of the apostles weren’t relatable...I desperately wanted a relationship with Jesus.""

MARY GATES

YOU ARE UNCOMMONLY LOVED

MARY GATES INTERVIEWS BARBARA DION ABOUT THE RETREAT THAT EARMARKED A HEALING JOURNEY

When Sr. Dorcee Clarey of the Servants of God’s Love in Ann Arbor led the women of Resurrection in a Lenten morning of reflection titled You Are Uncommonly Loved, the Lord stirred Barbara’s heart to enter more fully into her journey of healing. “I got some things out of it then, but even more since then,” Barbara reflects.

the breaks with gold. “It reminded me of a quote from Sr. Miriam which Fr. Steve has shared, too: ‘there’s nothing wrong with you; your heart has just been broken.’ It isn’t even just that we’re mended but that Jesus comes into the ruptures and fills them with Himself. The gold in the pottery is representative of Jesus and that He really can fill in our brokenness - I’ve come back to that.”

Having been rescheduled because of a snowstorm, the retreat came at a busy and somewhat dreary time of year - a reality that Barbara believes God used to allow the women to open themselves up to His grace. “One of the things I really loved was that when I walked in I got the sense that everyone was tired, and not just because it was early in the morning. Everyone just needed to sit and be seen. It felt contemplative - we didn’t break into small groups during the morning, it was very silent. It brought to mind a quote from St. Zelie who said ‘I long for rest’ - that’s what it felt like to me. I experienced the intimacy of silence, it was beautiful to sit in a room full of women and to be silent, because there are so many noises - the world, our thoughts. We have to be taught how to be silent with the Lord.”

Particularly striking to Barbara was the analogy Sr. Dorcee used of the Japanese art of kintsugi - restoring old and broken pottery by mending

Allowing the Lord to build on the graces He poured out at the retreat, Barbara says one scripture passage has been particularly striking. “I return to the words ‘draw me in your footsteps – let us run’ (Song of Songs, 1:4). The bride is willing but unable to come, she’s hesitant to take the first step. It’s so important to know that He longs to draw us in. Maybe that first step is going to a morning retreat or just offering yourself in prayer or going to confession for the first time in a long time, or making an appointment for healing prayer. The Lord never forces His bride to come - He never hurries her along. The retreat was an earmark for my journey and I’ve unpacked so many things over and over again. I’m learning to allow myself to be drawn.”

"I return to the words 'draw me in your footsteps - let us run'"

Above: a Kintsugi Tea bowl with cracks repaired with gold; right: Barbara Dion

WILL BLOOMFIELD

FELLOWSHIP & FRIENDSHIPS: STARTING THE DAY OFF RIGHT

HOW THE MEN’S BREAKFAST IS CONNECTING MEN WITH ONE ANOTHER

When my wife Anna and I were first married, I had recently accepted a commission in the Navy J.A.G. Corps, so the first few years of marriage saw us moving several times as we navigated life in the military. One of the most challenging parts of moving is being separated from one’s family and friends and consequently, needing to find a community of support. Naturally, each time we moved, we looked to our local Catholic parish for this community. We soon learned that not every parish is well equipped to integrate newcomers into the parish. And we found that the most challenging part is making that first connection with an already well-established family in the parish.

After moving back home to Michigan (now more than ten years ago) and establishing ourselves in Lansing, we had no problem integrating into parish life. My wife grew up at the Church of the Resurrection, so we were blessed to be joining a parish where we already had many friends and family. It was (and remains) truly a blessing.

But my time in the Navy reminds me that not everyone is so blessed, and that it remains important to create opportunities for newcomers to the parish to become well integrated into the parish community. One such opportunity that Church of the Resurrection offers is the weekly men’s breakfast.

For nearly five years, the men of the parish have been invited to attend a breakfast each Wednesday morning at 6:30 a.m. in Mercy Hall. We offer a simple breakfast of coffee and things like cereal and yogurt. Our membership has seen men come and go, but each week we still have about thirty men split into tables of six to eight men. Most tables include a good mix of young and old, with some of our younger members in their 20s and older members in their 60s and 70s. Each week, we discuss a chapter or two of a book that we read at home during the week.

The books all center on some Catholic theme and serve as a starting point for our weekly discussions. Thus far, we’ve read books on prayer, the liturgy, fatherhood, and Catholic culture. In the coming year, as part of the Year of the Eucharist we’ll likely be reading and discussing a book on the Eucharist.

When I meet a new man at the parish, I regularly invite him to join the men’s breakfast. Some come. Some don’t. But for the ones who come, and keep coming, I often see them developing good Catholic friendships and being inspired to advance deeper and deeper into the Catholic faith. And while the breakfasts are just for men, I even see the benefits of the men’s breakfast extending through the men to their families as those families become more and more integrated into the parish.

When I was first invited to help coordinate the men’s breakfast, I was skeptical. I thought that it would be too difficult for me to get up each Wednesday morning (let alone others) and I wasn’t convinced that the benefits would outweigh that difficulty. I’ve heard the same from other men who were likewise reluctant to come, especially considering the early morning start. But truly, many of us who were suspicious about regularly getting up so early have come to look forward to those early Wednesday mornings. I certainly do. I’ve also come to realize that the early morning is truly the most

"Often, all that is needed is making that first good connection with someone else."

convenient time for both me and my family since (unless I’m traveling) it never interferes with other commitments. And after that morning breakfast, I am revitalized and inspired for the rest of the week.

antidote. I hope men reading this will give it a try. We have room for many more and would be happy to have you join us.

For more information on the Men’s Breakfast, contact Will at wbloomfield@gmail.com. You will receive a weekly email reminder for the breakfasts and will be added to the email list.

SARA DEWITT

THE GAZE OF CHRIST

HOW THE KOGUT FAMILY EXPERIENCED THE LOVE OF JESUS IN THE EUCHARIST AT THE CATHOLIC YOUTH SUMMER CAMP

Catholic Youth Summer Camp (CYSC) is a program of a group called Damascus, located in central Ohio. The mission of Damascus is to awaken, empower and equip a generation to live the adventure of the Catholic faith through worldclass programs and an environment of encounter. 15 years ago, CYSC was a week-long session at one campus. Currently, CYSC operates 8 week-long sessions for youth across three campuses in Ohio, Minnesota and Michigan. Every summer, CYSC reaches thousands of youth from across the country with a high-adventure encounter opportunity with Jesus.

Camp is fun! The teens spend their days engaged in activities such as the high ropes course, zip-lines, rock-wall climbing, and much more. And yet, when you ask them what they love about camp, they don’t just rave about the high adventure; for most, they speak about a deep and personal encounter with Jesus.

Peter and Lisa Kogut are the parents of six children. They are a homeschooling family who have sent 3 teens to CYSC. “It’s pretty epic,” says Hezekiah, 16. “During adoration, I saw the outline of an eye in the host. It looked like it blinked twice. It was like He was looking at me.” This look from the Lord, the gaze of Christ, also profoundly impacted his sister Lily, 18. She shares:

"I struggle with perfectionism, and I brought my thoughts to the Lord. He reassured me by saying, 'I died so that you may have life abundantly…Receive my love…The path to abundant life is my love, abide in my love.' I was still struggling to find peace and to totally receive his love into my heart, because I still just wanted to do the exact right thing, even in my relationship with God. As we were praying before Jesus in adoration, I was looking straight at him in the monstrance, and he was looking straight back at me. I focused on him and nothing else. The Holy Spirit just kinda pushed me over and God said, 'you don’t have to prove anything. You are my beloved and that is all that matters. Just be mine.' I

never felt so content just to exist in God’s presence and simply be His. I was able to receive his love and the peace that he had for me.”

Zoe, 13, witnesses receiving the gift of Faith. “Before camp, I was feeling empty and unmotivated. I was prayed over to receive the gift of faith and was filled with the Holy Spirit. I felt so motivated to pray, and I’ve been praying every day since I got home. At camp, you learn how to listen for God’s voice. If we hear something upbuilding and true, it’s from the Lord. I’m taking time in the quiet to listen for his voice.”

Lisa says she’s grateful she can send her kids as young as junior high because that’s when they really start to notice worldly lies being told to them. She explains, “when you have that kind of exposure to Jesus and it changes you in your soul, it’s hard not to change our whole family. Because you come back, and you are thinking ‘Jesus loves me’ and you have the truth in mind so you can be more loving and more joyful in the way you relate. We all need that kind of exposure because in daily life we don’t hear the truth all the time”.

This summer our parish sent over 60 teens to CYSC. If you know one of them, ask them about their experience. We are, indeed, grateful for the opportunity to participate in this movement of the Lord in building up a generation to know, love and serve Him.

"When you have that kind of exposure to Jesus and it changes you in your soul, it’s hard not to change our whole family."

For more information about Damascus programs, visit damascus.net

Clockwise from top left: the Kogut family; Lily Kogut; Activities at CYSC, Zoe Kogut; Hezekiah Kogut in Adoration.

SEAN O'NEILL

A NEW PENTECOST

HOW THE INTERCESSORY PRAYER MEETINGS SEEK A NEW OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ON OUR PARISH

In March of this year, some of the ministry staff from the parish attended a workshop, run by the Saint Catherine of Siena Institute at the St. Francis Retreat Center. One of the themes of the workshop was intercessory prayer. It has struck me that it is easy to underestimate the effectiveness of intercessory prayer. Perhaps there is a temptation to view that type of prayer as simply a kind thought we convey to someone for whom we feel compassion. But do we really pray, with faith, that what we’re asking for will actually happen?

At the workshop we were asked to draw up a strategy for implementing intercessory prayer in our parish. What we came up with was a plan to hold an Intercessory Prayer Meeting every three months. Some questions remained: what should we be praying for at such a prayer meeting? What do our parishioners most need? What would bring most life to our parish community?

feast of Pentecost. The Lord seemed to be leading us to pray for a new Pentecost in the parish. At Pentecost the Holy Spirit came down upon the disciples in a new and life-changing way. Some of our parishioners have already experienced an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in their own lives, and that experience has led to a greater commitment to the Lord and a sense of freedom to lead the Christian way of life in a more radical way.

But many have not had that experience. So, we decided to intercede for a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the parish, and that has become the main theme of each of our Intercessory Prayer Meetings.

The format of these one-hour meetings is fairly simple. Fr. Steve gives a short talk and then exposes the Blessed Sacrament. We then pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit and recite the Litany to the Holy Spirit. After that there is a time of silent adoration which ends with reciting Day 1 of the Novena to the Holy Spirit. There then follows an allnight vigil and people can sign up for a one-hour slot throughout the night. The vigil finishes with benediction the following morning at 7:30am.

We’re hoping that those who attend the prayer meetings, or sign up for the vigil, will consider being part of an intercessory group that will pray regularly for the needs of the parish.

The answer to those questions emerged from the season of the year. We held the first prayer meeting on Friday, May 19, nine days before the eve of the

I am excited to see how the Lord will respond to our prayers and I look forward to hearing testimonies of how the Holy Spirit has changed our lives.

"The Lord seemed to be leading us to intercede for a new Pentecost in the parish."

FR. STEVE MATTSON

MOVING FORWARD IN THE LORD

FR. STEVE’S

HOPES AND PLANS FOR THE NEW LANSING DEANERY

Effective July 1, I became the “Dean” of the “Lansing Deanery,” which covers the north part of Lansing extending east. Our Parish Group remains the same (St. Andrew Dung Lac, St. Mary Cathedral, St. Therese, and Resurrection) and the deanery also includes two other groups: St. Thomas-St. Johns in East Lansing, which is grouped with St. Mary’s in Morrice and St. Martha’s in Okemos, which is grouped with St. Mary’s in Williamston. All the deans were asked to write an introduction. Here is an excerpt of what I wrote, in which I lay out my hopes for this new structure:

Beginning in 2019, I was privileged to serve along with thirteen others on the “Realigning Resources for Mission Committee.” It was admittedly a long process, marked by significant prayer, consultation, and deliberation. And, though the committee’s recommendations about parish structures were not ultimately accepted by the priests, I am grateful that Bishop Boyea has decided to establish deaneries. He invited me to serve as Dean of the Lansing Deanery, and I am pleased to say that our first meeting as a deanery confirmed me in my hope that this new structure will help us establish a season of strategic planning at the parish group and deanery levels.

It is clear to me that this shift will help parishes free themselves from the negative effects of parochialism. All too often,

parishes believe they need to be “one stop shops.” Such a belief is impractical for small and medium-sized parishes. Even for large parishes, it’s inefficient. Collaboration and coordination can, and I believe will, help us make the most of the resources God has given us. That was the hope for the Realigning Resources for Mission Committee. I’m excited to see what will happen, and I ask all of us to pray for the priests, deacons, staff members, and parishioners as we strive to better form missionary disciples in the Lansing Deanery.

I am eager to see what the Lord will do for our parish and the Greater Lansing area as we strive to better pursue formation individually as parishes, as parish groups, and as a deanery, as missionary disciples who witness to the truth we find in Christ. Please pray for me, my fellow deans, and the pastors, priests, and staff, as we make initial plans to collaborate more effectively in coming months.

"I am eager to see what the Lord will do for our parish and the Greater Lansing area."

A WITNESS OF HOPE CHRIS GATES

CHRIS GATES REFLECTS ON BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH FELLOW DISCIPLES

It has been five years since we brought our family to Resurrection and in that time we have been so blessed by the parish Healing Encounter nights where we’ve heard others share testimonies about how God has been at work in their lives - we have been touched by powerful stories of suffering, loss, grace, healing and redemption.

When I was asked to give my testimony about God’s love in my life, it seemed unlikely that I could convey His love and care for me. While praying, the Lord put on my heart Jesus’s teachings about our Father in heaven's providing, and His reminding the disciples that when two or three are gathered, He is there. I went to Eucharistic adoration to ask the Lord what He wanted me to share regarding those passages, and He took me back to a time more than twenty years ago when I had asked Him for something, and then He reminded me how He, a good Father, had responded.

I had a good friend who died of cancer when we were both twenty-one. I had stopped practicing the faith and receiving the sacraments by the time I was in high school, but when I left the hospital the night my friend Tom died, I had an incredible encounter with God’s love. I called out to Him and asked if suffering and death were really all there was - or if He had more. And the best way I can describe what happened was that He set my soul on fire. I knew definitively that there was more. I started to pray every day, asking God for one thing - that He would bring someone into my life, people into my life, who would help me grow closer to Him. I wanted more. I should have buckled up! Two months later,

I met my wife and started going back to Mass. A couple of years later we married, and God blessed us with children. But the Lord didn’t stop there - He started drawing other people into our lives whom I believe were, in part, there to help me grow in virtue.

When our friend Fr. Paul asked us to start a prayer group with him with the goal of pursuing the Lord relentlessly, God continued to pour out His grace. And I asked Him for more - I needed other Catholic husbands/fathers with whom I could continue to grow. Jacob Allstott’s and Brian Fink’s witness to me when I came to work at Resurrection School - watching them boldly follow Jesus - has been a great blessing. The Healing the Whole Person retreat, the Damascus men’s retreat, and friendships with others who are striving to pursue holiness and have become like family, have all led me closer to Christ.

As I think about the way the Lord has loved me and provided for me, I see that He has given me so much more. And I see that the prayer that came from a place of desperation so many years ago continues to be answered today.

"The best way I can describe what happened was that He set my soul on fire."

MARY GATES

HIS PLAN UNFOLDS

A MEDITATION ON GIOTTO'S BIRTH OF THE VIRGIN

In Giotto’s Birth of the Virgin, Anne has given birth to the one who is the Immaculate Conception. God’s plan to save His people in motion, He invites mere mortals to play a role, and these saints say yes. They say yes to what they do not know - and yet, they say yes.

Here, Anne receives the gift of the child who is to become the mother of all. Salvation history unfolding in a family.

St. Anne, pray for us, that we, like you, will receive the gifts the Father gives - whether today it be a life, a grace, or a cross. Pray that, as it was with yours, our families and our homes would be places where His plan unfolds - places where life is nurtured and faith modeled and courageous virtue practiced.

Here, Mary is raised to know and fear and love God, so that she too can say yes.

Mary conceived without sin, Mary young and pure and chosen, Mary visited by an angel -

pray for us. Pray that we, too, will say yes as God invites, as He beckons, as He draws near; that we will proclaim, as you did, let it be done. Fiat. Let it be done, Father, for your plan is better than mine. Let it be done, Lord, because your will is my peace. When I am hopeful and trusting and faithful - let it be done. When I am troubled and doubting and questioning - let it be done.

For just as Our Lady’s great Magnificat follows her simple fiat, it is the same for us. As Mary makes God’s will her own, her soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and her spirit rejoices in Him who saved her - the same God who saves us. Only when I’ve prayed let it be done is my soul truly able to proclaim His greatness. May I surrender this day and every day my plan for His - my will for the will of the One who made me and loves me. May I look to the greatest model, disciple, and witness – the one who said yes without counting the cost. For God’s plan is still in motion, salvation history is still unfolding, and He invites mere mortals to play a role. He is asking for my yes.

LOVE (III)

Love bade me welcome. Yet my soul drew back

Guilty of dust and sin. But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack

my first entrance in, Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning,

I lacked any thing.

A guest, I answered, worthy to be here:

said, You shall be he. I the unkind, ungrateful? Ah my dear,

cannot look on thee. Love took my hand, and smiling did reply,

Who made the eyes but I?

Truth Lord, but I have marred them: let my shame

Go where it doth deserve. And know you not, says Love, who bore the blame?

My dear, then I will serve. You must sit down, says Love, and taste my meat:

So I did sit and eat.

GEORGE HERBERT