Welcome to the Big Read 2019!

Hello, and thank you for choosing to participate in the third annual Big Read at St. Mary Student Parish. Three years ago, St. Mary Student Parish implemented the Big Read in order to provide the parish with an opportunity to build community while reflecting on what it means to live out a faith that does justice.

On this blog, you’ll be hearing from students and resident parishioners alike as they reflect on Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion by Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J. The blog will be updated twice a week, so check back frequently!

It will be a wonderful way to engage with the profound stories and challenging ideas Fr. Boyle will present to us in the next 5 weeks.

With the book sharing stories from somewhere as far away as Los Angeles, it can be tempting to think that the lessons that lie under them don’t apply to us here in Ann Arbor. That simply is false; the concepts of radical kinship and being in solidarity with the vulnerable are at the crux of our Catholic faith and our pursuit to be women and men for others. Over the course of the Big Read, let’s challenge ourselves to dig deeply into the lessons Fr. Boyle shares with us, but, most importantly, let’s ask ourselves what radical kinship looks like at St. Mary and how we can be a better part of it.

If you are unable to join us for the kickoff event on February 26, take a look at Fr. Greg’s talk:

Here are some reflection questions about the talk:

1. How can our parish help students integrate the intellectual, social, and spiritual dimensions of their lives, “as men and women for others… who cannot even conceive of love of God which does not include love for the least of their neighbors”?
2. Greg writes, “Kinship [is] not serving the other, but being one with the other. Jesus was not a ‘man for others’; he was one with them. How are the two different and how should this impact our mission as Christians?
3. How does your understanding of God color the way that you view disparities in privilege and opportunity? What are some false ideas about God that you have encountered in yourself, others, or the wider culture?

If you still need a book (in English or in Spanish) please stop by the parish office anytime!

Thanks for coming along with us!

Renae is a senior at the University of Michigan and the intern for faith doing justice at St. Mary Student Parish.