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Change your Minds

Written by Rita Zyber on Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent

It’s pink candle week, the time in Advent when we focus on the joy that awaits us – simply because of God’s great love for us and the super-abundance of gifts he showers on us.

Today’s readings certainly give us cause for joy. Jesus shows us (despite the tricky questions) that we always have a chance to repent – to change our minds and believe.

I am honored to have the job of coordinating our RCIA sessions, which help people to learn and grow in the Catholic faith. We focus a lot on conversion, though we rarely use that word. In reality, our candidates are the ones who show us about true conversion. Somehow, somewhere, they’ve heard God calling. They have responded and are working hard toward greater belief. Their unique stories feed my own faith every year.

St. Paul reminds us that conversion happens when we are able to think and act so much like Christ that we literally “clothe ourselves” in Christ (Galatians 3: 27) and become a new creation. So conversion is about turning away from the distractions of life – from anything that’s an obstacle to God. It’s about slowly shifting our minds – and hearts – so that they are in alignment with God, like a flower that bends toward the sun.

Of course, that’s not always easy. Jesus reminds us that there’s a lot of work to do in the vineyard. In all of our human-ness, we don’t always run willingly to do that work. Conversion is an ongoing process for all of us. Sometimes we get it right, sometimes we don’t. But what joy we have in knowing that we can always try again. It’s simple, Jesus says, “change your minds and believe.”

Questions for Reflection:
Have I failed to follow through on an action that might help someone else?
What distraction can I turn away from today in order to turn closer to God?

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Rita Zyber
Rita joined the staff in June of 2014 to assist with RCIA sessions. Rita has previous staff experience at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Ann Arbor, as well as years of volunteer service in religious education, stewardship, music ministry and RCIA. She is also a freelance writer. She and her husband, Frank, have two college-age daughters, Claire and Lauren.
Email: [email protected]

Surrender to the Truth

Towards the Light

Written by Bill Alt on the Third Sunday of Advent

She just wanted to play soccer, a little girl with blond hair and smiles. She just wanted to run on a field with friends and kick a ball, laughing, with no worries and her life laying out ahead of her.  Her mom was there on the sidelines, so proud of her daughter, so much in love. As they walked to their car at the end of practice, did they talk about school and what Emma liked about her teacher? Did Emma ask to stop for a special treat before heading home and did her Mom say no, it’s getting late and it’s a school night? Did her Mom ask what Emma thought Santa might bring her for Christmas and what she would like to give Grandma and Grandpa? In an instant, all the questions, all the silly, simple, beautiful, and wonderful moments of loving a seven year-old were stopped forever when a family friend with a legally purchased firearm shot and killed little Emma, critically wounded her mom, and then turned the gun on himself.

My son is seven years old and every night before I go to bed, I give him a blessing as he sleeps. I make the sign of the cross on his forehead and I say, “I love you, my little prince. May God bless you and keep you safe all night long.” I don’t think- I can’t think- that he could ever be taken from me. It is too painful and scary to think about, but someone will be next. Some mom and dad will be broken beyond repair, some holiday party will host mass murderers, some young black man will not come home tonight, and some refugees will be turned back by hatred and fear.  I weep and my heart is filled with anguish as I cry out, “Why? Why is it into this world that Christ is born?”

Yes, I believe Christ is born into our deepest darkness. I believe Christ weeps with us there but also points us towards the light. Christ shows that death, suffering, and evil will not have the last word. Love, forgiveness, peace, goodness, and mercy will prevail. It will prevail because God asks us to bear Christ to the world; Christ is born into our world when we show kindness, when we give thanks in all things, and when we roll down justice. This is the joy I rejoice in. I want the Prince of Peace to be born now, no more delays, into this troubled and bruised world so that little girls and little boys can come home safe from soccer practice. Come, Lord Jesus, come!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95itEHED8Hk

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Bill Alt
Bill is St. Mary’s Campus Minister for Social Justice. He lives in Ypsilanti with his wife, Angie, and two sons, Jacob and Patrick.  They have worshiped at St. Mary Student Parish since 2012. They miss the mountains of West Virginia but have found a home in Michigan.
Email: [email protected]

Going Outside the Church… (Walls)

Written by Jessica Montgomery on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

When I first began working in Hispanic Ministry, I was extremely nervous.  I wasn’t nervous about my ability to speak Spanish, but about being an outsider in this community.  Despite being able to hold a conversation, I worried my accent would be a barrier.  In addition to that, my pale white skin made it obvious that I’m not Hispanic. I was afraid that my status as an outsider would prevent me from serving the community.

Yet as I began my work, it was clear that I should not have feared being an outsider.  Now when I see people in passing, I am consistently greeted with a Hispanic hospitality that I now know and love.  As I became more familiar with Hispanic spirituality, this hospitality became even more apparent to me, particularly in the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Juan Diego, a poor Aztec convert to Catholicism, encountered the Virgin Mary when he was on his way to the chapel.  She asked him to build a church so that the Aztec people could come to know her and God.

The most striking thing about this story is not simply that she appeared to Juan, but how she appeared to him.  Instead of showing up as a white woman, similar to the images that the Spanish clergy used, she appeared as mestizo with dark skin and hair.  Her appearance promoted the mestizaje (roughly translating to “mixture” in English) of the Church and showed that all people are welcome into the church, not just white westerners.  Her appearance demonstrated that Juan Diego’s people belong, and that they are not outsiders, but are a part of the Catholic Church.

Our Lady of Guadalupe has showed me the importance of this mestizaje, this mixture of the Church.  Her visitation stresses that as a Church, we must be welcoming and willing to meet people as they are.  We cannot make positions of power out of our membership in the Church, but instead use this membership as a way to connect with people and accompany them in our shared faith journey.

Question for Reflection:
How can I share my faith journey with others in a way that is inviting?

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Jessica Montgomery
Jessica is a senior from Plymouth, Michigan majoring in Biomolecular Sciences and Spanish and is the St. Mary’s intern for the Hispanic/Latino Sacramental Preparation Program. She is also involved in the Alternative Spring Break program at St. Mary and loves volunteering at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. After graduation, she will pursue her medical degree and would love to work with Doctors Without Borders.
Email: [email protected]

Knock. Knock.

Written by Tony Moskus on Friday of the Second Week of Advent

Is it me calling out in the desert to prepare the way of the Lord? How could it be me? The winding road made straight should be paved right over me. I am a sinner.  How can I even dare to look in the Lord’s direction, let alone prepare His way? Time and time again, I have proven to be unworthy. When will His patience with me expire?

The answer is never. How do I know? As with most questions about Christ’s love and mercy, I can look to the cross. There He says, “I thirst.” By saying this, He not only fulfills Scripture, but He is speaking of His desire for all of us to follow Him.

In Revelation, Jesus gives us another image of His desire for us, He says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” There He stands patiently waiting for us to open the door to Him. Jesus stands on the other side knowing everything about us, even our sins, yet there He is. It is hard for me to imagine Jesus not only waiting patiently at the door for me, but longing for me, hoping to have the joy of being my savior.

In this Second Week of Advent, we wait. We wait for the joyous anniversary of Christ’s birth, and His triumphant return. However, there is another waiting. The waiting that Christ does for us to open the door to Him, giving Him what He longs for, us.

Suggestion for Prayer and Question for Reflection:
Mother Teresa says in the voice of Christ, “You have tried many other things in your search for happiness; why not try opening your heart to Me, right now, more than you ever have before.” Can you try to open you heart more than ever before? Before you answer, listen to this 8 minute meditation based on the teachings of Mother Teresa titled, “I Thirst for You.”

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Tony Moskus
Tony is a parishioner of St. Mary Student Parish with his wife, Penelope, and sons, Adam (15), Brian (13), and Alex (10). He is a teacher at St. Patrick Catholic School in Brighton.
Email: [email protected]

Season of Sacred Pregnancy

Written by Sharon Diotte on Thursday of the Second Week of Advent

Jesus gestating within the belly of woman,
Christ gestating within the consciousness of all.

During Advent, excitement escalates as we anticipate Christmas morning when we will again celebrate the birth of Jesus into our world. What do we mean when we say Jesus was fully human and fully divine? It means we believe that Jesus became fully conscious of the Cosmic Christ – the template of harmony through which all is sourced and by which all is infused. He came to know that he was not separate from God. Jesus said “I and the Father are one” and he modeled what life looks like when we live each day as though the presence of God within ourselves, within all people and within all things, really matters.

Each Advent we wait expectantly for the rebirth of Christ within each of us. Advent is not a passive season. Each of us prepares ourselves through prayer, sacred readings and meditation, knowing that we are all part of the Whole evolving in Christ consciousness. The second coming of Christ is not an isolated future event. It is the ongoing evolution of Christ consciousness within every woman, man and child.

During this Advent season may we, each and all, earnestly and joyfully follow Jesus the Christ into Christ consciousness. May we remember that we are not each separate but each part of the Whole.

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Sharon Diotte
Sharon is a retired parishioner at St. Mary Student Parish.
Contact: [email protected]

A Time to… ?

Written by Andrew Morris on Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent

Somewhere between childhood Advent calendars and just the busy reality of daily life, Advent for me was pretty much just a countdown clock for Christmas. (I.e. Crap; I was supposed to finish buying gifts before we got to that funky pink candle Sunday) But as I’ve grown, I have slowly come to better appreciate what the season of Advent offers to everyone. There is a deeper message or lesson that’s supposed to come out of a season versus just a reminder a day or week before Christmas.

Advent has really grown into a season of reflection upon the other “seasons” of life I am in. In this past year, what seasons of my life am I in or still in? What frustrations, mistakes, or joys stand out, and why? Are there circumstances, other people, or even myself that would be better served to move toward forgiveness? How do I think and see God leading me further into his grace and shaping me into becoming the truest version of myself?

I personally can’t say 2015 has been the best year for me, with the death of a close grandparent, and the natural upheaval and major life changes following graduation from college being the major highlights of my year. Yet even in this chaos and stress, I can see how some of those threads and circumstances that initially just seemed to be challenges led to unexpected opportunities for growth and more meaningful relationships with others.

By understanding which seasons of life I’m in, I am more open and able to see how God is leading and inviting me to really live, appreciate, and take advantage of the opportunities that are here today. Advent ends with Christmas, and the birth of the savior, but you don’t need to wait for Christmas. If you closely examine your own life, he is already active and at work and inviting you into deeper relationship with him, no matter what season of life you’re in.

Questions for Reflection:
What seasons of life are you in (or were you in this past year)? How do you see God present?
Are you taking advantage of the unique opportunities that each season has?

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Andrew Morris
Andrew graduated from the University of Michigan in May 2015 with a degree in Chemical Engineering. His favorite season is definitely Fall.
Email: [email protected]

Anticipating the Arrival of Grace

Written by Sarah DeWitt on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

I’ve never much identified with or felt much in praying the Hail Mary. Perhaps it’s all those times reciting it in school as a kid. Perhaps it’s the language that doesn’t feel particularly easy to engage with. For whatever reason it’s never my go to.

Today is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. So I looked up how Mary’s conception came to be known as immaculate – a word I identify with a white marble countertop in a spotless kitchen, or a pristine garden: neat and ordered in every way, not a leaf out of place. It’s a word that sounds almost sterile and unattainable…and well, since it refers to Mary’s freedom from original sin – this is definitely sounding unattainable. But the piece of the Immaculate Conception I can sink my teeth into, the words of the Hail Mary I’ve never much bothered to focus on: full of grace. Now that’s attainable, because grace is a gift.

Mary’s life was encapsulated by grace. Full of it. I want that for my own life. I want those crevices of bitterness in a broken relationship to be illuminated. I want to be better for my family when tiredness gets the best of me. I want my work to be guided by that grace. I want whatever makes us “…eternally capable of rising from mud and sticky mess,” as Edwina Gateley so beautifully reflects in her poem, “Mary.”

Grace is a gift. It is a window of holy opportunity to be the gentler and more compassionate versions of ourselves. It is the gift that filled Mary up, accompanied her on many a challenging and painful part of her own journey. I want that in my life.

And so in this season of waiting, I will anticipate the arrival of grace.

Grace to listen and to receive.

Grace to forgive and to embrace.

Grace to marvel and to rejoice.

Grace that will fill me, as it filled the Mother of God.

What a gift to receive.

Question for Reflection:
What grace do you need this season?

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Sarah DeWitt
Sarah has been part of St. Mary’s since 2009. She manages the Ann Arbor Farmers Market and lives in Ann Arbor with her husband, Steve, and their son, Moses.
Email: [email protected]

California Dreams and the Promised Land

Written by Jerin Philip on the Memorial of Saint Ambrose

When I was in high school, I thought California was the place I wanted to be. My Quiz Bowl coach would even tell me that California was the “Promised Land.” There was something about Hollywood, the palm trees, and the Pacific coast that seemed utterly enthralling. In the end, I didn’t make it to the Golden State until just recently–on a three day work trip to San Francisco. As lovely as that limited visit was, I haven’t made any plans to go back.

God makes His own promises about a fantastic place in today’s reading from Isaiah. The supernatural images described provide an exultant foretaste of heaven. “Streams will burst forth in the desert . . .The burning sands will become pools, and the thirsty ground, springs of water.” Indeed, God makes a promise in each and every one of our hearts about the indescribable joys He has laid out for us.

Heaven is our great hope. Yet, if we truly believed a place like heaven exists, wouldn’t we drop everything we’re doing now to go there? I often feel that I treat God’s promises like I treated my vision of California–a nice place to visit, but nothing to change my life for. I haven’t sold out in my desire for God’s plan.

Today’s readings from Isaiah and the Gospel about the men lowering their sick friend through the roof to meet Jesus invite us to “rise up and go,” to run from whatever bonds keep us from God and seek wholeheartedly, without reservations, the land He has promised.

Questions for Reflection:
What promises has God made in your heart?
How can you become free from the bonds that keep you from rising up and seeking God?

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Jerin Philip
Jerin came to St. Mary’s as an eager undergrad before graduating in Biomedical Engineering (’06) and coming back for Public Health (’13). He currently makes the long commute to Lansing to work for the Department of Health and Human Services. He has enjoyed participating in SCCs, RCIA facilitation, and writing for the Advent Blog. 
Email: [email protected]