Updates

Our Response to Suffering

Written by Bill Alt on the Third Sunday of Lent

My mom is a miracle.  Almost forty years ago, my dad sat my older sister and me down and told us that mom was very sick; she would be going to the hospital.  She had been diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer and did not know what the future would be for her and her five young children.  She survived but in 2009 she called to say that she would not be able to come to my oldest son’s first birthday party because she was sick again.  She had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

Now, seven years later, she has survived and beaten cancer.  More importantly, she lives her life with purpose and not regrets and recriminations.  Each moment for her is an opportunity to love and she has never let her children, her grandchildren, or her husband forget that they are loved.  She lives in peace and joy, a sort of indifference, and I am so grateful for her life and the gift that she is.

I will not believe that her cancer is a punishment from God or even a testing of her faith.  No, she is no more guilty, I am no more guilty, than the unfortunate people killed by the falling tower at Siloam we hear about in today’s Gospel.  Suffering is not a punishment for our sinfulness and we need not seek it out in order to draw closer to God.  Suffering will find us.  It’s our response that matters.

Sin and suffering are real.  Will we repent and believe that God never tires of us?  Will we seek forgiveness?  Will we cultivate the ground of our heart, fertilize it, so that our lives bear fruit?  Will we allow God to tend to our barrenness, to be our master gardener?

Questions for Reflection: 
How have you responded to the suffering in your life?
During Lent, what are you doing to cultivate the ground of your heart?
How is God the master gardener of your life?

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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]

Identity and Motivation

 Written by Melia West on Saturday of the Second Week of Lent

“Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”

It is worth reflecting on two nuanced thoughts of the younger son. First, his motivation to return to his father’s house is not out of love for his father, but out of use. He returns out of hunger in his belly, out of his own self-centered desires, not out of hunger for reunion with his father.

How much is this like myself when I stray in faithfulness from daily prayer. I become distracted by worldly deadlines or pressures, and only find a need to return to Our Father when I have exhausted all of my stored ‘wealth’. If I am honest with myself, that moment of realizing I am empty is a moment of desiring to return out of use, and not out of a deep love of a friend, a want to spend time with Him; I return to ask for more energy/love/focus… (or fill in the blank). Yet this is not a reason to make myself feel guilty. For this is not of God. God, who is “kind and merciful”, loves us so much that there is not room in his mind’s eye for him to remember our sin, or our misguided reasons of turning to Him. “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he put our transgressions from us.” While becoming aware of my interior motivations, let me not linger. Let me simply return to Him, rejoicing in my emptiness, in a spirit of love and not of use.

Additionally, the younger son does not resolve to return to his father to resume his position as a beloved son, rather as hired help. He has forgotten who he is – his very identity and reason for coming into existence, for being loved into existence.

Isn’t this at the heart of every sin we commit, large or small? We forget, even if for a moment, who we are as God’s beloved; for if it were possible to keep His Love for us at the forefront of our minds, we would surely not be tempted to leave His loving gaze.

Suggestion for Prayer
Set time aside today to sit in prayer; come to prayer in a spirit of love and not of use. Imagine yourself the younger son, and let the Father’s loving gaze rest on you. Allow him to drape His royal cloth over you and strap sandals to your feet. Do not be ashamed of your need, but stay with the Father in love. After prayer, forget not His unique and complete love for you, as you go into the world, to become the blessing He wants to make you to others.

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Melia West
Melia is a Master of Urban Design student at Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, expecting to graduate in June. She and her fiancé are preparing for marriage in October. Melia converted to Catholicism in 2010, and has been a parishioner at St. Mary’s since August 2015.
Email: [email protected]

The Communal Journey

Written by Brendan Dailey on Friday of the Second Week of Lent

I don’t like feeling alone.

I imagine few people do, but for me it’s one of the bigger things I strive to overcome. I get a lot of energy from being around others, so times that I find myself alone can be unsettling. You see, I’ve been single for quite some time now, and I go through waves with that experience. At times, I am drawn closer to God, friends, and family, and know that despite being single, I’m never truly alone. Other times, I feel an emptiness and a sadness that accompany my situation. In these times, I tend to take it upon myself to fix my problem, and begin to focus more inwardly. What am I doing wrong? What can I do to change my situation? Foolishly, I strive to conquer my loneliness… alone.

In this Lenten ‘desert’ we journey through to Easter, I am working to turn my focus back toward the Lord, building my relationship with Him, and back outward to those around me. By focusing inwardly on myself, I miss out on the opportunities I am given to lean on those God has placed in my life, and alternatively, I miss out on the opportunities I am given to be there for someone else. While our journeys through the desert are often ones of individual growth, it doesn’t mean that we must journey alone. Rather, we are called in this time to be aware of our presence in one another’s lives, and are called to be a blessing to each other.

Today’s readings illustrate this quite well. In Genesis, we read about Joseph, and the great love his father had for him. This love made Joseph’s brothers extremely jealous, to the point they plotted to kill him. Joseph was a blessed and gifted man. Instead of recognizing that his gifts differed from their own, and seeking to learn and understand from their young brother, they grew selfish, jealous, and hateful. In the Gospel, Jesus uses a parable to show the Chief Priests and Elders of the people the errors of their ways. God had sent the Jewish people prophet after prophet, servant after servant, to tell them of the Lord’s grace and mercy, and they continued to turn away. Now, God has sent his own Son to them, and instead of recognizing this great blessing to the people, they reject and kill him. Out of pride, out of greed, and out of fear.

As this Lent continues, I challenge you and myself to embrace the communal aspect of our journey, acknowledging the times when we need to be carried, and recognizing when we are being called to carry others.

Questions for Reflection:
When do I push others away instead of accepting their help, out of jealousy, hatred, or fear of being vulnerable?
When am I in a position to help others, but am too focused on myself to notice?

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Brendan Dailey:
Brendan is an alumni of the University of Michigan and currently works for the University as an IT professional. He is a member of the Graduate Student and Young Professional lead team, and frequents the 12 pm Mass at St. Mary’s.
Email: [email protected]

Jesus Knocking

Written by Vanessa Lancaster on Thursday of the Second Week of Lent

How often do we feel that our prayers go unanswered? That we are praying the same prayers in a state of waiting? During this time when we may feel unclear as to what it is God has planned for us, we are called to trust. God knows our hearts much more than we will ever know them and he loves us with a love that cannot be conceived by our own minds.

Healing services here at St. Mary’s have always been experiences where I have felt this deep connection with the Lord and the love he has for me. At the beginning of this year, I came to one not knowing what to bring to the prayer team. Through this confusion and uncertainty they told me, “He hears all of your prayers and he needs you to know he will answer them all in his time.” This phrase is what came to my mind after reading today’s Gospel. “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find knock and the door will be opened to you” – Matthew 7:7

Though I may be the world’s least patient person ever, I have found a way to think of prayer when I am waiting on how God wishes to answer: Your prayers are like a baby in your womb. God plans to answer these figuratively in nine months. If this baby comes early, or you force it on a different path so that it can come early, the baby will not be healthy. In other words, the preterm baby is not God’s best path for you and is not a favorable outcome for those bearing children. We must wait and we must trust in God’s plan that is created out of love and in a way that we can glorify His name.

Suggestion for Prayer:
Bring your heart to God; place your heart in God’s hands. For God has plans for you and for your prayers. Ask God to help you see other’s through His eyes, but also for other’s to see you through His eyes.

“A clean heart create for me, O God; give me back the joy of your salvation” – Psalms 51: 12A, 14A

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Vanessa Lancaster
Vanessa is a junior in the Nursing School at U of M. She is originally from Richland, MI and is the President of Catholic Campus Community working as St. Mary’s Intern for Outreach and Engagement.
Email: [email protected]

Power Turned Upside-Down

Written by Lisa Hirsch on Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent

In our world and in the time of Jesus, power appears to be the goal for many people. Even if we are not grasping for power, we often are seeking praise, affirmation, or reward for the good that we do. In the Gospel today, Jesus responds to a request for this type of honor from the mother of 2 of his disciples. He says, “whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus turns the notion of power on its head.  If we are to be great in God’s eyes, we must serve others. As our theme for this week of Lent says, we must be “cast as a blessing to others”. In my own life, I find this both easy and difficult to do. If I follow that still small voice inside, I often find myself doing and saying things that are a blessing to others. It comes easily. But then I hear the other voices. Voices from our culture saying I deserve more pay for the work that I do. Or voices from the media that say “those people are the other” – not worthy of my blessing. And that’s when I question my own generosity. Maybe I should find a different job, maybe I shouldn’t give money to that person on the street, maybe I shouldn’t “waste” time talking with people at the warming center.

Thankfully I have other voices confirming my merciful choices – the voices of scripture, my small church community, the St. Mary community, my husband and friends. Lent gives me a fresh opportunity to focus more on those voices.  The ones like Pope Francis who affirms in his Year of Mercy prayer “you are the face of the invisible Father, of the God who manifests his power above all by forgiveness and mercy”. Manifests his power! Jesus had every right to be served and honored and yet, he used his power to bring mercy and love to those in need. Any power that we have comes from God. Let us pray this Lent that we may use that power to be cast as a blessing to others.

Questions for Reflection:
In a culture that encourages us to be the best, when do you struggle to follow Jesus’ example to serve others?
This Lent, what voices might help you to use God’s power of love to be a blessing to others?

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Lisa Hirsch
Lisa is a long-time St. Mary resident parishioner and is involved in our Social Justice Ministry lead team.
Email: [email protected]

Where do You Find Christ?

Written by Jerin Philip on Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent

Whenever I prepare for Lent, I think about all the obstacles in the way of living a Christ-centered life. I make plans to finally conquer that sin or spend this much more time each day in prayer. In short, I attempt some sort of personal transformation that I think will bring me closer to Christ. In a quest for holiness, I focus inward.

Today’s Gospel reminds us to also look outward when seeking Christ. At the gates of heaven, Jesus will say he knows us if we have taken action to help the least of our brothers and sisters. We will know Christ when we have fed him, clothed him, and visited him. We will find Christ in the outskirts of our society, in the faces and hands of those who need our charity the most.

I think back to the Gospel reading for Ash Wednesday when Jesus refers to what are perhaps the three pillars of Lent: prayer, fasting, and alms-giving. If you, like me, often forget to integrate the latter element, let us then work to find Christ by giving to others, casting ourselves as a blessing to our brothers and sisters.

Reflection Questions
In what ways can I come to know Christ through charitable action this Lent?
What is God calling me to do for my brothers and sisters, especially those who may be cast aside by society?

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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 St. Mary’s blog. 
Email: [email protected]

Rediscovery & Inspiration of Faith

Written by Camille Sanzi on the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter

I was raised Catholic, attended Catholic schools, and went to church weekly, but during high school I felt disconnected from my faith. I simply went through the motions each Sunday which was discouraging and confusing. After spending undergrad rediscovering what faith meant to me privately in the pews of SMSP, I grew prepared to confirm my faith. This decision has deepened my relationship with God in ways that I do not think would have been possible had I completed the sacrament earlier in life. As I continue to strengthen my relationship with God during Lent, before making my own agreement with Him at Easter, I am reminded and inspired by His powerful covenant to us (GN 8-15).

My journey through the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) has been incredibly rewarding. It is wonderful strengthening my knowledge of the faith alongside candidates, catechumens, and leaders of the program each week and I am continuously inspired by those who are new or returning to Catholicism. Most notably, it has been exhilarating to watch others grow in faith for the first time. Their awe, questions, and personal discoveries are true blessings to witness. We recently passed through the Rite of Election with Bishop Boyea and it was beautiful to watch as catechumens were moved to tears when they were enthusiastically welcomed by the congregation. Observing and sharing these pure emotions has energized my desire to further journey in faith.

During this time of “prefigured baptism” where we “appeal to God for a clear conscience,” I believe that it is fitting to be inspired and refreshed in new ways by our faith. My source of excitement and motivation has been RCIA, and for those who are cradle Catholics, new to the faith, or even just a little curious, maybe RCIA is your inspiration too!

Questions for Reflection:
When was the last time I felt excitement, inspiration, or wonder in a religious setting? How did I feel and why did I feel this way?
It is encouraging to pray to God and ask for him to guide you in this time of rediscovery.

Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,”
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.  -PS 25: 4-5

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Camille Sanzi
Camille is a senior at U of M and is majoring in English Literature & Language. When she is not reading in a coffee shop around town, she is playing mellophone in the Michigan Marching Band and the Michigan Hockey Band.
Email: [email protected]

Stretching our Comfort Zones

Written by Abby Braun on the Second Sunday of Lent

Growing up, my family spent most of our vacations camping.  Staying overnight at a hotel was a rare treat, even when we were traveling for more than a week or two.  This was, in part, a financial decision because camping is cheaper and allowed us to travel further and longer than if we had stayed in hotels.  Mostly, though, we camped because my dad loved the outdoors and pitching a tent provided us an avenue for experiencing the natural world in the most basic and lovely ways.  Of course my sisters and I were thrilled anytime we were able to enjoy the luxuries of a hotel stay: hot showers, swimming pools, comfortable beds.  But my dad always reminded us that camping was good for the soul, not only because it allowed us to experience God’s creation more directly than we could when sleeping indoors but also because it stretched us outside our comfort zones to sleep on the ground and go without indoor plumbing.

I don’t camp nearly as much as I did when I was younger, and sometimes I wonder if I’m missing something important, if I’ve gotten too attached to the physical comforts of life… if, in general, I’m too attached to all of the familiar and comfortable patterns in my life.  And so I relate to Peter’s response to seeing the glorified and transfigured Jesus conversing with Moses and Elijah.  “It is good that we are here, let us make three tents!”   He wants to pitch a tent, not to step out of his comfort zone but as a way of holding on to a good moment, to keep the beautiful version of Jesus contained up on the mountain.  Oh, how I do this in my own life.  I want to hold onto the glorious moments and not let them go.

Of course, as the Scripture tells us, Peter doesn’t have a clue what he’s talking about.  And what is God’s response to Peter’s idea?  God sends a cloud and casts a shadow over them, and it is within this place of darkness and discomfort and confusion that we arrive at the most important part of the story.  They hear a voice say, “This is my chosen Son.  Listen to him.”    It wasn’t until their vision was clouded that they heard the message that they needed to hear.  For me, the lesson in this Scripture is the same lesson my dad taught me about camping: do not be afraid of the places that stretch you, the unknown places, the places that make you uncomfortable, the places where you cannot see a way forward.  Go to these places, for it is there that you will hear God speaking to you most clearly.

Questions for Reflection:
When have you had an experience of transfiguration, of seeing something glorious and wanting to hold on to that moment?
What are the places in your own life where you feel like you are in a cloud, like a shadow is hanging over you?  What might God have to say to you from within that place?

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Abby Braun
Abby has served as a campus minister at St. Mary’s since 2012.  After studying theology at the University of Notre Dame (BA ’05) and Pastoral Ministry at the University of Dayton (MA ’08), Abby spent four years as a Campus Minister at Saint Louis University where she met her husband, Bob.  She is especially grateful to be a part of a Jesuit Parish that serves a University community.  Abby works part-time at St. Mary’s and spends the rest of her days at home/toddling around Ann Arbor with her (almost) two-year-old daughter, Eleanor.
Email: [email protected]

Love them, but not THEM

Written by Jessica Montgomery on Saturday of the First Week of Lent

“But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father.”

These words from today’s Gospel always challenge me.  Yes, I can love my friends who are nice to me, but Jesus challenges me to do more.  He challenges me to love the girl in my group project who doesn’t do her fair share of the work.  He challenges me to love the little boy in the catechism class I teach that does not pay attention and teases his classmates.  He challenges me to love my coworker that shows up late for work, making me stay for 45 minutes beyond my shift.

Yet as much as these moments challenge me, they are often relatively easy to overcome.  I can imagine that the girl in my group project may not understand the material as well and is afraid to admit it, or maybe she has other stresses in her life and can’t do as much work.  Maybe the little boy does not receive any attention at home and thinks that acting out is the only way to get any attention.  Maybe my coworker had an emergency at home and got to work as soon as he could.  And even if none of these hypothetical situations are true, I can still find it in my heart to love them.  Although I may not be able to find a reason for their faults, I can see their vulnerabilities and recognize that they, like me, are not perfect and make mistakes.

But Jesus does not just challenge us to love the people that we have met.  He challenges us to love the person that stole our credit card information and has charged thousands of dollars to our cards.  He challenges us to love the shooter who killed his fellow university classmates.  He challenges us to love the suicide bomber who killed hundreds of innocent bystanders. No matter how awful the actions and how difficult it may be to find Christ in their lives, God calls us to pray for and love them.  Why?  Because like us, they are children of God who, no matter what mistakes they make, deserve to be forgiven and loved.

Reflection Questions:
Who in your life do you find difficult to love?
How can you challenge yourself to love them?

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Jessica Montgomery
Jessica is a senior from Plymouth, Michigan majoring in Biomolecular Sciences and Spanish and is the intern for St. Mary’s 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]

Love Casts out Fear

Written by Toni Morales on Friday of the First Week of Lent

The other evening, I was walking home.  It was dark.  A man with a dog was walking towards me, and then passed me.  We were both silent, but after he passed me, he said with irritation, “What kind of a neighborhood is this that you won’t say hello?”  Flustered, I said that I was sorry and wished him good evening.  The fact that I did not know him, and that I was a woman walking alone in the dark did not inspire my friendliness.  Yet, his response pointed to a truth: fear, justified or not, works against community and towards isolation.

Our readings today focus on our interactions with others.  Is our behavior virtuous or wicked?  Do we express anger toward others, or talk about others disparagingly?  While we would never consider murdering anyone, how many times have we committed “character assassination” with our words?  As Jesus notes in the gospel, such actions make us “liable to judgment” or “answerable to” religious authorities, or condemned to eternal punishment.  Knowing this, why do we persist in our coldness, verbal sniping, or irritation?

I attribute my own isolating behavior to my tiredness, busyness, or fear.  If I call a friend or family member, how much of my precious little leisure time will that cost me?  If I try to have a discussion with someone who has hurt me, will I be able to control the outcome?  Isn’t it just easier to stay away from that person and feel better by complaining to my friends?  If I bring these hurt/sad/angry feelings to prayer, will Jesus ask me to do something I’m too fearful and weak to do?

Yet Jesus calls us to act beyond our fear.  He offers us moment to moment His love and strength, especially at those times when we find ourselves least able to give.  Rather than resorting to behavior that is “safe” and self-justifying, Jesus invites us to take the joyful risk of loving our sisters and brothers as we join them to build the kingdom of God.

Question for Reflection:
In what situations or with whom do you find it most difficult to give of yourself?
What do you believe Jesus is telling you in these situations?

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Toni Morales
Toni is a long-time resident parishioner.  She works at UM helping undergraduate students determine their academic goals and the ways to reach them.
Email: [email protected]