Resurrection Magazine Christmas 2023 Vol 4:3

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE CHURCH OF THE RESURRECTION | LANSING, MICHIGAN

RE SU RRE C TI O N MA G AZINE CHRISTMAS 2023 VOL 4:3

IN THIS ISSUE

A CALL TO HEAL & BE HEALED One Parishioner Shares His Exciting Journey of Healing

BEER & SCRIPTURES

How spiritual growth and fellowship grew out of a desire for more

A RAY OF HOPE IN KENYA

A Resurrection parishioner shares how outreach to Kenya is changing lives

RESURRECTION MAGAZINE CHRISTMAS 2023 VOL 4:3 PASTOR FR. STEVE MATTSON EDITOR SEAN O'NEILL MANAGING EDITOR MARY GATES ART DIRECTOR SARAH FINK

WE'RE ALSO ONLINE! Visit our website to read all previous issues of Resurrection Magazine!

CORLANSING.ORG/MAGAZINE

IN THIS

4 5 6 8 10 11 12 14 15 16

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

ISSUE

THE HOPE OF JESUS TODAY FR. STEVE MATTSON

A PARTNERSHIP OF LOVE JOANNE HANLEY

HOPE IN GOD SANDI WALCZAK

A CALL TO HEAL & BE HEALED AN INTERVIEW WITH CHRIS SPALDING

KINGDOM DREAMING MICKIE KREFT

BEER & SCRIPTURES PAUL KUCH

JOYFUL NEW BEGINNINGS

AN INTERVIEW WITH OUR NEWEST TEACHERS

A RAY OF HOPE IN KENYA MADELEINE VENEKLASE

KING OF KINGS & LORD OF LORDS | AN ART MEDITATION MARY GATES

THE NATIVITY OF CHRIST | A POEM ROBERT SOUTHWELL

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 Domenico Ghirlandaio's The Adoration of the Shepherds (1483 - 1485), oil on canvas.

For a meditation on the painting, see page 15.

FROM THE

EDITOR

A Merry Christmas to all our readers! At this time of year, approaching the dead of winter, the Nativity is a beautiful feast signifying the new light and life that was brought to us when Jesus became a man. As St. Paul reminds us in Philippians 2, Jesus “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” It is Jesus’ profound humility that we can thank for the gift of salvation, for the gift of hope in the midst of despair, and ultimately for opening to us the gates of heaven.

That theme of hope is picked up by Joanne Hanley on page 5 as she relates how the Church of the Resurrection’s involvement in the Capital City Baby Shower gave help to families with crisis pregnancies who have no money to provide even the basics. On page 14, Madeleine Veneklase also tells of the hope that is brought to abused and neglected children in Kenya by the efforts that she and others have made to rescue them from the life of the streets. On that same theme, on page 6, Mickie Kreft explains how the hope that she brings to those who are homebound is also conveyed to her as she ministers to them or brings them the Eucharist. And on page 10, we can read Sandi Walczak’s reflections on the formation course on topic of hope that was put on by the parish in August of this year.

This issue (page 8) also contains a remarkable testimony from Chris Spalding about how God has brought healing into his life. Our managing editor, Mary Gates, interviewed Chris recently and discovered how he has experienced healing in his own life, but also how God is using him to heal others in sometimes surprising ways.

And on page 11, Paul Kuch describes how, when he couldn’t get to a parish program because of time commitments, he simply got together a group of men and invited them to meet regularly to drink beer, study the scriptures, and share their faith lives together.

Lastly, on page 12, three relatively new teachers give their impressions of what it’s like to work at our school. As we all know, teachers can have a huge impact on the lives and futures of students, but it is also refreshing to note the positive impact both the kids and staff have had on these three teachers.

This is a season of hope, but also a season of deepening our personal relationship with the Lord. Let’s turn to him and seek the peace and goodwill that He is always holding out to us, and let us respond to His invitation to enter ever more deeply into His heart of love.

3

FR. STEVE MATTSON

THE HOPE OF JESUS TODAY

FR. STEVE REFLECTS ON HOW TO PREPARE WELL FOR CHRISTMAS

T

his year, the Church invited us to prepare for Christmas through a shortened season of Advent, rushing from the morning of the Fourth Sunday of Advent to the evening of the Vigil of the Nativity that same afternoon. With such a shortened Advent, I’ve been thinking a lot about preparing well. As I mused and prayed, two quotes of Johannes Scheffler came to mind that Hans Urs von Balthasar includes in a homily from Advent. In a book of his homilies, You Crown the Year with Your Goodness, Balthasar exhorted his hearers to take preparation for Christmas very seriously indeed: [W]e must look and listen; we must pay attention; we must turn and attend to this voice. Turn and repent of your sins, says the Baptist again and again. What does this mean? It means we must search for that turning point in our innermost self, the place where we turn from the “I” to the “thou” and to God, from sterile living for ourselves to fruitful living for others by following God, Emmanuel: God-with-us and God-for-us. Then, together with the Virgin who is with Child, we too can bring a real, tangible child into the world, a child who will be fruitful in the world and in world history; and not just any child, but the same Child that Mary bore: “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister and mother” (Mt 12:50). That will be the real miracle of Christmas. For it is not merely that at some time or other, two thousand years ago, a rather special Child was born in Judaea. As Scheffler wrote in his Cherubinischer Wandersmann (1657): “Christ may

4

be born in Bethlehem a thousand times, but if he is not born in you, you will be lost for all eternity just the same.” And again: “If only your heart could become a crib, God would become a child again on this earth.”

Such ideas seem extreme and farfetched to us. But we only have to recall the words of Jesus when he says that unless a man is born from above, from God, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God (Jn 3:3); and that He, Jesus, has given us power to be children of God, born of God, above and beyond all earthly begetting and birth that result from the will of the flesh and the will of man (Jn 1:12f.).

"If only your heart could become a crib, God would become a child again on this earth."

This Christmas, Jesus who is the reason for our hope Himself hopes (and prays) that we will allow Him to be born again in us. So let us each say “yes,” and make of our heart a crib in which He can become a child again on earth. Then the Christ child will live and grow in us, and through us, in others too. That’s a reason for rejoicing. And celebrating well.

JOANNE HANLEY

A PARTNERSHIP OF LOVE

RESURRECTION SUPPORTS THE CAPITAL CITY BABY SHOWER

M

any of us are familiar with the great work that Right to Life does in the prolife community with their 40 Days for Life Campaign, the Life Chain, or the prayer vigils outside of Planned Parenthood. But this past summer, the office of Multicultural Outreach of Right to Life (RTL) Michigan, contacted the Church of the Resurrection to ask us to participate in their first annual Capital City Baby Shower at Sharpe Park in August. Their hope was to bless as many women, children and families as possible and to support those who were facing an unwanted pregnancy, questioning their ability to parent, or needing encouragement, and/or baby items.

"Their hope was to bless as many women, children and families as possible."

The idea for the shower was to make visible and available the support system that exists in the prolife community for all people, especially those in difficult situations that made the decision to CHOOSE LIFE! The event was to provide families in need with one large baby item of their choice, such as a car seat, high chair, or other similar item, as well as provide support with college advice and résumé help, with food and blessing bags, and with prayer stations.

This was an ecumenical event, with Resurrection accepting the call to be a partner along with Faith

Fellowship Baptist Church, St. Mary’s Cathedral, Shared Pregnancy, Rachel’s Vineyard, Bethany Christian Services and others.

When Father Steve announced the second collection for the baby shower at our Masses, Resurrection once again proved to be an incredibly generous and supportive community. The organizers of the shower informed us that Resurrection was their biggest donor, and that every penny that was collected went toward the purchase of baby items.

With our help, RTL was able to bless 76 families, and everyone left with something. They gave away 50 diaper bags filled with needed baby items, as well as 55 new car seats, strollers, pack-and-plays, bouncers, and so many other things!

RTL sincerely thanks Resurrection for our support, and they hope to expand the geographic range of this next summer, as they plan to host the second annual Capitol City Baby Shower on August 17, 2024!

SEE MORE PHOTOS ONLINE

The joy and delight in the caring community and in the participants is palpable!

Use the QR code to see more pictures from this event!

5

SANDI WALCZAK

HOPE IN GOD

A FORMATION COURSE ON THE THEOLOGICAL VIRTUE OF HOPE

H

aving gone through what turned out to be a harrowing time over the last few years, especially during and after the pandemic, many of us may have become discouraged and despondent. For that reason, the formation team thought it would be relevant to put on a Formation Course on hope. About 50 people attended the course, including Sandi Walczak who outlines below the content of the talks.

I

n August, the parish held a three-part series on the theological virtue of hope. In the first talk, Fr. Steve addressed the virtue and the obstacle of despair that can prevent us from obtaining it. In the second reflection, Sean O’Neill talked about presumption as the other antithesis of hope; and the third talk, given

by Craig Pohl, was a testimony about how to maintain hope in the midst of adversity.

I never knew there were so many aspects to the theological virtue of hope, and many obstacles to obtaining and maintaining it.

"Hope means having confidence that God loves us, that all good comes from Him, and that we need to trust in Him." “Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s promises and relying not on or own strength but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit.” (CCC 1817) We cannot cultivate this virtue by ourselves, it comes from God. Hope means having confidence that God loves us, that all good

6

comes from Him, and that we can trust in Him. As we know, God may permit adversity in our lives and yet He knows what we need and invites us to be people of hope. He asks us: “Do you trust me?” “Do you love me above all things?”

Possessions, status, gathering up riches, or believing in the “prosperity gospel” do not bring hope. Jesus says to seek first the kingdom of God and all things will be added. 1 Tm 6:10 says: “The love of money is the root of all evils.” Jesus himself avoided goods and status. In fact, God may take all those things away to perfect us in faith, hope, and love.

Romans 8:18 says “For I reckon that the sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come that shall be revealed in us.”

Suffering can cause despair, which may lead us to believe that we can control things; that we can change things through an act of our own will. It can also lead us to escapism or trying to disassociate ourselves from our problems. It can lead to longing for a future time when life will be better or a nostalgia for the past, “if only we could go back in time.” Or, we could think that God can’t forgive us – that what we did is just too horrible to forgive. The evil one wants for us to be in a state of despair.

Society tells us that suffering is bad and should be avoided at all costs, and yet Jesus tells us to join our suffering to His. St. Faustina said that angels envy us because we receive Holy Communion and because we can suffer.

Another obstacle to hope, presumption, can take two forms – “I can save myself ” and “Salvation is already here and I need do nothing.” Both of these are errors and deny hope. Presumption is to think “let me do what I please because God is all merciful,” and also “we don’t really need God.” The Lord invites us to conversion every day.

through scripture. Try it and listen to what he is telling you! He has messages just for you. He meets us wherever we are.

Adversities and tragedies threaten our hope, yet we are called to persevere in hope. As Romans 5:3-5 says: “And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” When we suffer, God wants to bring about good.

-We can nurture hope through community. We can help others endure their trials and storms. Your loving act can make a world of difference. Maintaining hope in suffering can help evangelize - people can see your perseverance and know your hope is in the Lord.

So how do we nurture hope?

-We trust that God is good. When God allows suffering in our lives, we can accept it, join it to His, and trust in Him. -We need to spend time in prayer EVERY day, telling God about everything in our lives. We also need mental prayer where we turn the “Play” button off (us talking) and turn on the “Record” button and listen to Him. Mental prayer is vital in our development of the virtue of hope. We need to talk to the Lord throughout the day, thanking him for helping us in the actions of our daily lives. Even in times of sadness and trial, He is always there. He loves hearing from us and knowing that we trust Him. -We need to do spiritual reading. He speaks to us

-Forgiveness is another key in garnering hope and maintaining it. We must forgive those who hurt us to free ourselves and regain hope in the Lord.

The secret to hope is as expressed in Philippians 4: 4-7 and again in 1 Thess 5:16-18 to give thanks and rejoice always. “Always” means even in times of troubles. This is the true “sacrifice” of praise that raises our hope and elevates our peace with God. Rejoicing and praise are an act of will, and help us see our situations in a new light and bring that situation out of darkness and into the light. A greater good can come from a disaster than if it had never occurred. Think of Jesus’ death and resurrection. In 1 Cor 11: 23-27, St. Paul outlined all the travails of his journeys to evangelize, and still in all of those sufferings, he gave that sacrifice of praise to the Lord, for his hope was in Him. He didn’t let discouragement work in him to frustrate or make him angry over injustices. We shouldn’t either. Satan hates when we praise God at all times. Rejoicing in the Lord makes hope available in us and inhabits us.

Hope is a virtue and a grace that our spiritual life hinges on. When we live in Jesus, we live in the reality of hope. May we be people of hope, come what may, come whatever may!

(L) Craig Pohl and Fr. Steve; (R) Fr. Steve gives the first talk in the three-part series

7

Leonardo Da Vinci | Adoration of the Magi | 1481 | oil on wood

AN INTERVIEW BY MARY GATES

A CALL TO HEAL & BE HEALED

CHRIS SPALDING SHARES HIS EXCITING JOURNEY OF HEALING

"I

remember when I was young I had hands laid on me in prayer and it didn’t make any sense.

It just wasn’t part of my beliefs and it didn’t become part of it for a long time.” A self-proclaimed ‘doer’, it is no surprise to Chris that God would bring about much of his own healing by inviting him to minister to others.

"He told me I might have the gift of healing, and it planted a seed."

“We had a parish mission here at Resurrection where Fr. Steve asked us to extend hands or lay hands on those asking for healing. I put my hand on the shoulder of the woman in front of me and started praying and I realized I physically couldn’t remove my hand - something was happening and I couldn’t take my hand off of her shoulder.” While Chris didn’t think much of it, he mentioned it to Fr. Steve, who

8

had already received a call from the woman that she had experienced physical healing from that prayer.

“He told me I might have the gift of healing, and it planted a seed.”

God’s plan for healing in Chris’s life wasn’t just about others - his gift has opened him up to receive healing, too. “In 2016 I had a medical problem and not long after I experienced healing I met someone living with severe disabilities from the same condition. I realized then what God had done for me.”

Still hesitant to ask for healing for fear it may not happen, Chris says everything changed when his daughter-in-law told him that doctors had discovered a tumor on her unborn daughter. “At that point I was scared to pray over her or ask someone else to pray over her because I didn’t want her to despair if nothing happened.” On the way to Ann Arbor for diagnostic testing, Chris silently prayed over her and the baby throughout the car ride. “I had my hand on her the whole way down and she didn’t know I was praying. But I had this peace over me.” The following week, a scheduled checkup with her local doctor, the family learned that the ultrasound now showed no tumor. A follow-up visit and imaging at U of M confirmed the tumor was gone.

“It was completely gone. That raised the stakes for me.”

With an increasing trust in God, Chris became certain that no matter what we see happen during healing prayer, God is always at work. “We don’t always get the results we want when we ask, but He’s working every time. I experienced such anger at the loss of a boy I came to love, baby Jack, but God has shown me His plan for him. I met Jack after His grandma was at a Mass where we mentioned a prayer team - she called and said she heard we did prayer ministry and said they would love to have someone pray with Jack, who had been sick much of his short life. My prayer partner and I were able to pray over him a few times at his house and at the hospital. And when he didn’t live I was really angry. I yelled at God. But as I was in church by myself that day, a lady came in who looked lost. When I asked her if she needed directions she said she had felt prompted to come because her husband, who had died, had come to Resurrection.

I immediately remembered that a week earlier when I had prayed over Jack I had heard God tell me ‘He is here to spread love.’ I know he has interceded - I ask him to pray. I believe that he’s there and helps spread this ministry. He was born not to live a long life but to help souls for a long time. And we have a saint because he lived.”

up to people on the street now and I’m very rarely turned down when I ask them if they want to pray. I used to yell at people on the street! It’s changed the way I see everything. I know now that people are broken and that He wants to heal them.”

The change in Chris’s life isn’t subtle, he says, and it’s a change he believes God wants for everyone. “I tell people that the first step is letting God in. He’s got a lot to offer you if you just let Him in. Listen to that voice that prompts you to talk to people and to pray with people - don’t ignore it. If it’s nothing it’s nothing, but you have to go for it. I always tell other people there to put hands on people and touch them - God will reward you for coming out of your comfort zone. My favorite thing now is healing prayer - it’s so exciting - the Holy Spirit comes every time. Even if it’s not what you think, something is going to happen. I’ve seen God come through.”

Ultimately, Chris says, praying with people for healing is humbling. “It’s not me that does it, it’s Him - I don’t heal, He does. I think God asks me to pray because I’m a doing person, I see and I do. I walk

9

Magi Bearing Gifts | 4th-Century Sarcophagus, Rome

MICKIE KREFT

KINGDOM DREAMING

HOW FULFILLMENT CAN COME FROM SERVING THE HOMEBOUND

G

rowing up I spent a lot of time with my maternal grandparents. Although they did not attend church every Sunday, they were God-fearing, God-loving people. They taught me the gift and love of serving others. When my grandfather was called home to be with the Lord, it was difficult for my grandmother to be on her own after 58 years of marriage. I witnessed the joy she felt when my children and I visited her a couple times a week. I did not realize at the time the true impact of each visit we had with her until she and my mother were both called home to be with our Lord. We take our time with our families for granted, not always realizing that life is indeed short.

"We take our time with our families for granted, not always realizing that life is indeed short."

One day a friend was telling me about her “Kingdom Dream.” I had not heard of Kingdom Dreams, so I asked her more about them, and then did a little research on my own. A Kingdom Dream is the good work you have been uniquely created and uniquely

10

called to do. I did not need to go to prayer to know the gift of my own Kingdom Dream. My Kingdom Dream is to visit the sick and homebound.

Visiting with the homebound is such a gift to me.

I enjoy my time with them. We share recipes and discuss books that we have read or are reading.

I listen and laugh with them as they share stories of growing up, raising their children, and growing in their faith. Many have, themselves, served as Eucharistic Ministers, or served the church in other capacities. They all thank me for bringing them the Eucharist. They are grateful to receive Him. Some have said that they feel a disconnect from the church, being homebound. I leave each visit thankful for them who have so much to share, and grateful that I heard and accepted this invitation to serve the Lord as He called me.

Mary Ellen and Tom Small and I have a dream to expand our homebound ministry. We dream that one day the church will have a transit van with a lift to be able to bring the homebound to Mass, a doctor’s appointment, or even a field trip, for example to venerate the arm of St. Jude. We would like to recruit others to help with small home improvements: changing batteries of smoke detectors, tightening hand rails, shoveling sidewalks, preparing a small meal for those who have had a recent surgery, etc.

Perhaps we can partner with other churches within our Deanery to serve the sick and homebound collectively. What a dream!

PAUL KUCH

BEER & SCRIPTURES HOW SPIRITUAL GROWTH & FELLOWSHIP GREW OUT OF A DESIRE FOR MORE

A

bout 10 years ago I was asked to be part of a ‘Beer and Scripture’ group that was run by a now good friend of mine. At the time I was definitely out of my comfort zone and I’m pretty sure I didn’t even speak for the first three or four meetings. At that time, my wife and I had just had our first son and our worlds had changed! I had just been to a Diocesan men’s retreat in Lansing and was grabbed by the Holy Spirit and moved to pick myself up by my bootstraps and take my faith to the next level. By owning that, I hoped that my kids would see that faith is very important to their dad.

At the same time, God showed me how much men really need each other. Every meeting made me even more convicted that the Holy Spirit was at work in my life - a huge channel to spiritual growth was opened for me. Being able to become vulnerable at times, real with each other, encouraging each other through scripture to better ourselves and those around us was highly inspirational to me! Most male connection I had was at a surface level, but this helped me to realize the value of deeper and meaningful relationships.

"…the desire to meet with great, holy men still was present and we shifted to biweekly beer and scripture.”

group at my house in my tiny basement where we drank a beer and did the TMIY program.

Like so many other things, the meetings at my house were upended by the COVID pandemic but the desire to meet with great, holy men still was present. We later shifted to biweekly beer and scripture, which is ongoing. The simple format we follow is: opening prayer, read the Gospel for the upcoming week, chat about the reading anywhere the Holy Spirit leads, and then closing prayer. At every meeting there is some kind of fire to gather around! In the spring, summer and fall we gather around a blazing outdoor fire, and in winter around the indoor fireplace. The text thread we use is also an avenue for men to ask for prayer intentions, or a helping hand, and a place to add links to articles or videos pertaining to conversation we had. This men’s group continues to build relationships and gives men confidence and courage to try our best to live authentically as Catholic men.

It doesn’t matter how well-versed in scripture you are or not, the Lord meets everyone where they are at spiritually. The Lord is at work always, and this group has helped me to see more clearly that being in the presence of other holy men is my spiritual honing block as is iron sharpening iron. I would encourage any man to at least begin to pray about being open to a small group.

There is no attendance policy or long-term commitment!

“Come as little or as often as you can” is the policy! It is a sacrifice in the family, because we meet at bedtime, but I believe the wives are seeing the value of it and are willing to put the kids down alone. Whenever I have been tired, not feeling like entertaining, or whatever the resistance may be, I always get my spiritual life sharpened!

The original Beer and Scripture group came to an end after several years, but the “That Man is You” (TMIY) program came to the Church of the Resurrection. As Will Bloomfield stood at the podium after Mass encouraging men to join in for the start of the program which would be held at 6.30am on Wednesdays, I thought to myself, “This program sounds great, but I start work at 6am. I can’t make it, so maybe I can at least check into the content.” I was deeply moved by the Holy Spirit in that moment and knew that I should contact all the men I knew who had to start work early and also couldn’t make the program. I found myself hosting a weekly evening men’s

11

AN INTERVIEW BY MARY GATES

JOYFUL NEW BEGINNINGS HOW FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE NOT ALWAYS WRONG

A

bbie Starr, Cindy Wolfe, and Kenzie Smith are the newest members of the Resurrection Parish School staff. Invaluable additions to the teachers and staff members who form the boys and girls who attend the school, the three newest teachers bring faith, knowledge and energy to their classrooms. Resurrection Magazine (RM) sat down with the teachers to hear about their time at Resurrection:

kind. I come from a very small town, so I know what it's like to be part of a close-knit community.

The Res community immediately welcomed me in - everyone from coworkers, to parents, to people at Mass, and so on. I didn't expect to find such a warm community in the middle of Lansing.

RM: What were your first impressions of Resurrection?

Abbie: The first word that comes to mind when I think of the culture is family - that’s the best word to describe this wonderful community. We all genuinely care for each other and our faith.

Abbie: Right away, I was struck with a feeling of how different Resurrection is from any other school. Everyone was so genuine, welcoming, and supportive. This first impression has continued even a year into teaching here.

12

RM: How would you describe the culture of the school?

Cindy: Beginning with my interview, all the staff and students were very friendly and helpful! Moving to work at Resurrection from out of state, it was a great help to be welcomed in so warmly and joyfully.

Cindy: The culture is very family-centered. Parents are encouraged to be involved as much as possible.

Also, the combination of tradition and charismatic devotions at Resurrection is astounding. Fr. Steve worships ad orientem at Mass, and there are also healing prayer services with prayer groups. It is a truly inspiring amalgamation of different traditions from the history of the Church.

Kenzie: The thing that stood out to me the most was the way this community is so welcoming and

Kenzie: As an employee, I find that there is great support from our administration and my coworkers.

L to R: Abbie Starr, Kenzie Smith, Cindy Wolfe

I know they all have my back because we're all pursuing the same end goal (helping our kids come to know, love, and serve God and His people).

RM: Why did you choose to work at a Catholic school?

Abbie: I grew up going to Catholic school, and I really appreciate being able to share the gift of the faith with future generations. Watching students grow in faith and pursue the good, true, and beautiful is unlike anything else.

Cindy: As the public atmosphere has become more openly hostile to the faith, I realized the only place I could openly profess my beliefs and help to form the future generation would be in a Catholic school.

Catholic educational philosophy is also so suited to holistic education of mind, body, and soul. Public schools can claim to have a good character-development curriculum, but ultimately good character is rooted in virtue, which is in turn derived from Christ and the imitation of the Saints. Teaching at Resurrection has enabled me to be able to teach following Christ the Teacher’s example.

Kenzie: Our society is in shambles, which means our public schools are in shambles. Teaching is hard enough without also having to constantly battle the dangerous ideologies that are threatening society. Being surrounded by a community that is aiming toward the Truth is far better for me personally.

RM: Can you share some of your favorite memories/ funny stories/anecdotes from your time at Resurrection so far?

Abbie: Some of my favorite memories come from our monthly staff social events, where we get to participate in activities together outside of the classroom. It’s been really fun planning events from baby showers and friendsgiving to bowling after school.

I also really loved the Advent service project Kenzie and I planned last year. Our first- and fourth-grade students brought in donations for Shared Pregnancy, and then we made tie blankets together. It was really fun to see the students’ excitement in giving to others. Some other favorites include our celebration for All Saints Day,

retreat days, March is Reading Month, and shamrock shakes.

Cindy: I love how excited the students get to see us teachers at Mass, other church events, or sports games. I always think they’ve had enough of me by the end of the week, but whenever I went to a girls volleyball game the past two years, I was always greeted with a hearty cry of “It's Teacher Wolfe!”

One day at recess, one of my students decided to see how high they could kick their shoe. They happened to be in the corridor going between the school buildings and the hall. To no one’s surprise, this student kicked off their shoe so high, it landed on the roof of the JPII room. That was one text to Mr. Spalding I didn’t think I’d ever have to make.

"The unique traditions at the school were the best to witness the first year and are what I constantly look forward to this year."

Kenzie: The unique traditions at the school were the best to witness the first year and are what I constantly look forward to this year. Things like celebrating All Saints' Day by marching in a parade and spending some time in "heaven" (aka, Mercy Hall), Jacob and Chris racing the students during morning assembly to help celebrate the feast of St. John Bosco, the "March is Reading Month" competition to put Jacob or Chris on the roof, seeing which staff member each student dresses up as during Catholic Schools Week, the Advent and Lent retreats we put on for the students, the spring concert put on by the students... I could go on and on.

RM: Thank you, Abbie, Cindy, and Kenzie, for sharing your reflections, and thank you to all Resurrection teachers and staff for sharing your gifts as you help form the children in your classrooms.

13

MADELEINE VENEKLASE

A RAY OF HOPE IN KENYA

A RESURRECTION PARISHIONER SHARES HOW OUTREACH TO KENYA IS CHANGING LIVES Jesus directs us to “go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” Even when we cannot travel to distant lands to evangelize, we can support the foreign missions and satisfy the Lord’s great commission in our own lives.

Nyaatha Ray of Hope (NROH) is a Michiganbased nonprofit organization (501(C)(3)) founded in 2017 to support the work of the ASE, The Assumption Sisters of Eldoret, Kenya. The congregation of 250 native Kenyan Sisters operates two boys-rescue centers and most recently opened the Dorothea Rescue Centre for Girls (DRC).

Through my Catholic education, I developed a love for the foreign missions. As we filled small cardboard milk cartons with coins, I was intrigued that these would help children in far-away places and they would know that Jesus loved them. In 1984 I went to Kenya as a lay missionary and became a coworker and friend of the ASE. At that time Kenya was already alive in the faith with workers in the vineyard. This is even truer today, and it makes our financial assistance a partnership in the evangelization there. 50% of households in Kenya earn the equivalent of $100 a month.

There is no safety net of welfare or food assistance. The Church steps in to assist, and we are the Church.

Nyaatha (nyaa tha) means “Mother of Mercy.”

The Assumption Sisters are mothers of mercy who pick up abused and neglected children from the streets and offer them a new life of hope. My friend Sr. Angela was concerned in particular with providing education for the children, to give them a future away from the streets. NROH is currently providing for the education of over 50 students in high school, college, and university programs.

14

Sometimes special projects come up. In 2021 IHM Parish in Lansing donated funds to install a solar water-heating system at the Dorothea Rescue Centre for Girls. In May of 2022, Church of the Resurrection made a $4,000 donation to complete the interior of the Little Angels Chapel at the DRC. The building of the Chapel was inspired by the death of Sr. Angela in March 2021, a few months before the opening of the DRC. Sr. Angela was the pioneer sister in the rescue of street children. She had come to the U.S. to receive her Master’s in Education, and returned to Kenya convinced of the necessity to rescue, rehabilitate, and educate children, out of love for Christ. In their encounter with the Assumption Sisters, the children encounter Christ, especially through His eucharistic presence.

"The Assumption Sisters…pick up abused and neglected children from the streets and offer them a new life of hope."

The Little Angels Chapel was consecrated on December 1, 2022. Cindy Kogut and I were blessed to be there for this. Young girls leave a world of extreme poverty and abuse and enter a place of worship, healing, and peace.

Because of the generosity of the Church of the Resurrection, they also enter a place of beauty.

For more information, visit www.nyaatharayofhope.org.

Questions? Please contact Madeleine Veneklase at nyaatharayofhope@yahoo.com.

Domenico Ghirlandaio | The Adoration of the Shepherds | 1483 - 1485 | oil on canvas

MARY GATES

KING OF KINGS & LORD OF LORDS

A MEDITATION ON GHIRLANDAIO'S THE ADORATION OF THE SHEPHERDS

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us; upon his shoulder dominion rests.

A baby is born to us. Into the darkness, He has come: He who is light and life and love is here.

The baby is laid in a manger, a King meek and humble of heart. He with whom dominion rests.

And so, animals gather, shepherds kneel, angels sing and rejoice. A mother gazes and swaddles and ponders these things in her heart.

We’re invited, too - to come to the manger, to meet the baby King. We’re invited to gather, to kneel, to sing and rejoice, for God has kept His promises and a baby is born. We’re invited to

gaze and swaddle and ponder, for unto us a child is born. The child who will rule all nations, who will reign forever has come to save. He is born, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, a baby in a manger.

Will I meet Him there? Will I go to His crib? Will I quiet my heart to listen to the baby? Will I gaze at the face of the newborn king? And let Him gaze at me? He wants only my restless heart, laid at his manger. And it is the only gift I have to give.

May I draw near to the baby - pondering in my heart the great love of the Father to send His only Son, a baby in a manger.

15

THE NATIVITY OF CHRIST ROBERT SOUTHWELL (1561–1595)

Behold the father is his daughter's son, The bird that built the nest is hatch'd therein, The old of years an hour hath not outrun, Eternal life to live doth now begin, The word is dumb, the mirth of heaven doth weep, Might feeble is, and force doth faintly creep.

O dying souls! behold your living spring!

O dazzled eyes! behold your sun of grace!

Dull ears attend what word this word doth bring!

Up, heavy hearts, with joy your joy embrace!

From death, from dark, from deafness, from despairs, This life, this light, this word, this joy repairs.

Gift better than Himself God doth not know, Gift better than his God no man can see; This gift doth here the giver given bestow, Gift to this gift let each receiver be: God is my gift, Himself He freely gave me, God's gift am I, and none but God shall have me.

Man alter'd was by sin from man to beast; Beast's food is hay, hay is all mortal flesh; Now God is flesh, and lies in manger press'd, As hay the brutest sinner to refresh: Oh happy field wherein this fodder grew, Whose taste doth us from beasts to men renew!

1505 E MICHIGAN AVENUE LANSING, MICHIGAN . 48912 (517) 482-4749 . CORLANSING.ORG