2015
The Journey is the Goal
Written by Natasha Lovely on the Feast of Saint Andrew
“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!”
Each year we are reminded that Advent is a time of waiting, but for me waiting seems more painful than fruitful. Simply waiting for a pizza to be delivered or waiting in traffic is hard enough, imagine being asked to wait four weeks to celebrate the birth of Jesus…not exactly an easy task. Although, it seems the older I get the more I find myself jumping straight from Thanksgiving to Christmas and I forget about the journey.
This image in the readings today of feet spreading the good news brought back to this idea of a journey. Advent is journey, a beautiful journey. Advent is the time of the year in which we are able to journey and prepare our hearts for the birth of Jesus and also anticipate his second coming. But if we spend all four weeks simply anticipating and waiting until the end, Christmas, we risk the fruits of the season. We risk missing the lessons and opportunities that Christ wants to present to us. Christ is waiting for us to invite him on this journey with us. As we begin this season I wish for you to challenge yourselves and challenge your heart. Challenge yourself to setting resolutions for this journey, even something as simple as committing to an extra 15 minutes of prayer and reflection. Most importantly challenge your heart to recognize the beauty in the journey.
Question for Reflection:
How will you challenge yourself this Advent season to journey and spread the good news?
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Natasha Lovely
Natasha is a graduate student at the University of Michigan School of Social Work.
Email: lovelynl@umich.edu
2015
Time to Get in Shape
Written by Fr. Eric Sundrup, SJ on the First Sunday of Advent
Waiting is annoying. Most of us don’t like waiting. It’s no surprise that there are so many apps and online services that promise to save us time, to reduce our wait, to put services or goods in our hands as quickly as possible. They make us feel active and in charge of our time. I understand that push all too well. As far as I’m concerned, self-driving cars can’t get here soon enough. Imagine all the time we’ll recoup when we can work, play or rest while the car does all the driving.
But the really important question isn’t where we can save time, but what are we doing with our time. What will you do with your time this Advent? Our readings this Sunday speak of the end of the world. We are exhorted to be on guard, to be ready. What are we doing with our time? How do we fill our free time? Is it solid preparation?
Do not become drowsy from… the anxieties of daily life.
Often when we hear about Advent as a season of waiting, we think of passive waiting. But preparing to meet the Son of God is not simply about sitting back and waiting for something to happen to us. Our active participation is required. Christianity isn’t a spectator sport.
Think of the type of waiting and preparation that people do for a marathon. Sure, we wait for “race day” but there is nothing passive about that waiting. If you are going to run a marathon your need to stretch, run and cross train. You’ve got work to do. Rest days matter, but they matter because they make those active days that much more effective. We can’t afford to be lazy; we can’t afford to skip training. It’s time to get in shape: The days are coming.
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Fr. Eric Sundrup, SJ
Fr. Eric @sunnydsj was ordained in June 2014 and joined the St. Mary’s staff in August 2014. He relocated to Ann Arbor after completing his degree at the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, CA. Fr. Eric spent part of his Jesuit training living and working in Bolivia and Peru and enjoys working with our vibrant Hispanic ministry. He also works with the Ig.nite lead team and the RCIA program.
Email: esundrup@smspnewman.org
2015
Bulletin for November 22 and November 29
Fr. John Ferone prepares us for the Advent season and reminds us of our own call to “Prepare the way of the Lord” in his article on page 2 of this week’s bulletin.
Join us on Sunday, December 6th from 7:00-8:30 PM for a “Living Library” where our eleven student interns and two campus ministry associates share the stories of their spiritual journeys.
Are you an undergraduate student looking to get more involved as a leader at St. Mary Student Parish? Apply Now for a leadership position within the Catholic Campus Community. Applications are due Wednesday, November 25th!
2015
Faith Sharing Fridays November 20, 2015
Gospel for Sunday, November 22nd
When you are a child, and another child takes your toy from you, it seems like your world has been turned upside down. When you are a teenager and you feel like you don’t have any true friends, again your world is turned upside down. When you are in college and you don’t know what you want to do with your life or who you want to be, your world feels upside down. When you have a stressful job and that is all that is on your mind, once again, you feel your world turned upside down.
No matter what phase of life we are in, we have experienced those difficult moments where it seems like it is impossible to get through it. The challenge is overwhelming and you don’t know how to make it work. Yet, somehow, we always make it to the other side. Looking back on these challenges, I can see that they are “worldly”. And in the Gospel, we are reminded that the kingdom of God does not belong to this world.
Of course, this does not diminish the challenges we have, but rather this allows us to put it into perspective and hopefully make it through our challenges with courage, like Jesus. The kingdom of God does not belong to this world, but it can still be found within it. Those moments of pure joy and peace are the moments when we rest in the kingdom of God on earth. Those moments can give us courage to continue through our challenges.
An Undergraduate Woman
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As I read this reflection, I realized that the events of this past weekend are spoken through these words. Lives were turned upside down, the world was turned upside down in shock and horror as we watched the headlines ablaze with news of death and terror. BUT out of that darkness, love and light poured through – a call for peace, a call for solidarity, a call for prayer – for God’s Kingdom to reign here on Earth. In the outpouring of support for the victims of the Paris attack, in #prayforParis, I saw God’s kingdom giving courage to those suffering to make it through the challenge. So for this week, I chose a picture that shows that God’s kingdom can still be found within our world.
An Undergraduate Woman
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From Isobel Bowdery, a survivor of the attack:
“But being a survivor of this horror lets me able to shed light on the heroes. To the man who reassured me and put his life on line to try and cover my brain whilst I whimpered, to the couple whose last words of love kept me believing the good in the world, to the police who succeeded in rescuing hundreds of people, to the complete strangers who picked me up from the road and consoled me during the 45 minutes I truly believed the boy I loved was dead, to the injured man who I had mistaken for him and then on my recognition that he was not Amaury, held me and told me everything was going to be fine despite being all alone and scared himself, to the woman who opened her doors to the survivors, to the friend who offered me shelter and went out to buy new clothes so I wouldn’t have to wear this blood stained top, to all of you who have sent caring messages of support – you make me believe this world has the potential to be better. to never let this happen again.”
2015
Bulletin for November 15, 2015
Check out page 2 of this week’s bulletin to read a reflection on Sunday’s readings written by a campus minister. Also, if you’re interested in reading more reflections, see our #faithsharingfriday blog!
Undergrads, mark your calendars for November 21st to join us for a delicious Thanksgiving dinner! Finally, the last day to sign up for the Feast Day of Service is a week away. Register now to participate.
2015
Faith Sharing Fridays November 13, 2015
Gospel for Sunday, November 15th
It can be really important to wrestle with this passage and this particular style of scripture. With all the references to the end of time, this is part of the genre called apocalyptic literature. Often, these types of readings leave me feeling unnerved or confused. When I encounter it in the Bible my first thought is often, “oh no, this is clear evidence that Jesus was wrong. That generation has definitely passed away and the apocalypse hasn’t happened (or at the very least I haven’t been informed).”
When I read apocalyptic literature I have to remind myself that it is the genre of the disposed. It is often written by captives and exiles, people who are clinging to hope in desperate situations and yearn for a better future.
To understand and enter into this passage I need to do some soul searching. How is the current “world order” serving or not serving me? What advantages do I have over some of my brothers and sisters around the world? Depending on where I live or where I was born, I may not want a new world order. I may or may not want a complete restructuring of society.
But why?
Where am I afraid to embrace change? What privileges do I enjoy that others may be able to access? Who has been left on the margins? Who would find great hope and consolation in a restructuring of our world? Looking closely at these questions can help me to enter more deeply into the feelings and the movements of gospel passages like this one.
A Male Campus Minister
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What privileges do I enjoy that others do not? What parts of my lifestyle affect others? Are there patterns of consumption in my country that hurt others who are less fortunate?
These questions make me think about the massive flow of immigrants or exiles fleeing from violence and death as they make their way from their homeland to where it will be a safer “world order” for them and their families. How close they must be in their struggle to the mercy of Jesus. In turn, how can we be the hands and feet of Jesus in our response?
In the words from the Book of Daniel .. it is “a time unsurpassed in distress” …..a time when “your people shall escape” and “those who lead the many to justice shall be like the stars forever”.
This painting of Koder’s evokes images of the flight of the immigrants towards the safety they desire and the need for mercy and justice for these our brothers and sisters.
A Married Couple
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2015
Sign Up for 2015 Feast Day of Service
St. Mary Student Parish honors our patron Mary on her Feast Day by gathering for prayer and serving those in need.
If we, each doing our own part, if we do good to others,
if we meet there, doing good, and we go slowly, gently, little by little,
we will make that culture of encounter: we need that so much.
Pope Francis
Schedule for Saturday, December 5, 2015
Mass 10:00 AM at St. Mary Student Parish
Lunch Boxed lunches will be provided for those participating in the day of service.
Volunteer Service 12:00 Noon – 4:00 PM
This is our first year utilizing online registration. For more information on service sites or to print the registration page and turn into the main office, please review the Feast Day of Service booklet below:
2015
Bulletin for November 8, 2015
Undergrads, join us on the evening of Friday, November 13th for a trip to Skyline Trampoline Park! See page 3 of the bulletin for more details.
On Sunday, November 22 Brother Guy Consolmagno, Director of the Vatican Observatory will be at St. Francis of Assisi Parish. He will be giving a talk called “Astronomy, God, and the Search for Elegance.” This event is free of charge. More details are on page 4 of the bulletin.
2015
Faith Sharing Fridays November 6, 2015
Gospel for Sunday, November 8th
As someone who has not yet had a salaried career, I feel the burden of the woman who gave her “livelihood” instead of the others who just gave from their wealth. As I dwell on this more, I realize that while I might understand her in financial terms, when it comes to my relationship with God and my giving to the community, I would have to say I am more like the people giving just from their wealth. I hear Jesus teaching the disciples and us that it is important for us to give ourselves entirely to Christ, to give our livelihoods to Christ, and to give our lives to Christ. This could mean different things for everyone, but for me personally, I hear it as a call to action: a call to give more than just prayer now and then and mass on Sunday mornings, a call to serve those in need more than just when I have the free time and feel like it, a call to use all of the gifts that God so generously gave me to their full potential.
My contributions need to be more than just from my wealth. My contributions need to be all I have.
Imagine our God given livelihood as a bouquet of flowers: white roses and light pink peonies over top beautiful dark green leaves and with baby’s breath scattered throughout. This bouquet was a gift from God. He fashioned it just for you and expects you to use it. This bouquet has many parts. The roses might be your passionate interests and the dark green leaves your compassion for others. The peonies are your personality and the baby’s breath is a special and unique talent. Combined, this collection of flowers makes you God’s one and only beloved “you.” Now imagine trying to live out your life each day giving each person you meet your complete bouquet of flowers (of course God has an unlimited supply for you to share). How wonderful would that be to be sharing your passionate interests, your compassion for others, your personality, and your special gifts to every person you encounter? Instead I often find myself giving bouquets of just peonies or maybe just roses and a few leaves. I am only giving of my wealth and not my livelihood. I pray that we may be able to strive to give our entire bouquet of flowers to everyone we meet, to show everyone who God made us to be.
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What is in your bouquet of flowers? How can you share your entire bouquet with those around you?
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Written by an Undergraduate Woman
2015
The Climate Consideration & the Common Good
On Thursday, October 22nd, parishioner Beth Gibbons presented on climate change and the impact it has on our local community.
While we may not see polar bears floating on the melting glaciers here in Ann Arbor, we do see more extreme weather patterns than ever before. Since 1951, annual precipitation in Ann Arbor has increased by 45% and the number of heavy storms has increased by 41.2%. That’s enough precipitation in one year to fill the Big House 117 times! Besides overwhelming our storm drainage systems and other resources, if this increase in precipitation continues, many of our fellow community members will be left without anywhere to live. This is because low-income neighborhoods and public housing in Ann Arbor are disproportionately located in flood plains. Over time, the city government will face the difficult decision to support neighborhoods that will simply be destroyed again.
In Pope Francis’ words, “The climate is a common good, belonging to all and meant for all.” Beth Gibbons’ lecture reinforces this message and shows us that in being good stewards of the Earth God gave to us, we will improve the lives of our brothers and sisters.
Click Here to view the slides from Beth’s presentation.