Author: Kathy

Staying Connected to One Another in Christ

Kathy Weekly message

 After college, I entered a program in Rome that required me to be away from the country for two years with no possibility of returning home. These were the days before the internet, Zoom, and Facebook, when even phone calls were expensive. As the time for me to leave drew near, I was feeling sad at the possibility of losing touch with so many people I had come to love. When I shared this with my pastor, he told me, “The Jesus you will be praying to in Rome is the same Jesus your friends will be praying to here at home.” Those simple words reminded me that, even half a world away, I would remain connected with my friends through the mystery of faith and prayer.

At the Last Supper, Jesus faced the prospect of leaving his disciples. He wanted them to know that although he would no longer be with them physically, his presence would nonetheless still be very real and active among them. And so, Jesus used the image of the vine to describe the ongoing connection he would have with his followers even after his death and resurrection. Just as the branch is vitally connected to the vine, so the believer is vitally connected to Jesus. And just as, apart from the vine, the branch shrivels up and dies, so those who are not connected to Jesus have no life within them. The Last Supper is the only place where Jesus uses the image of the vine, but it repeats a theme which echoes throughout the gospel of John  that Jesus “stays” or “remains in” his disciples and that they “stay” or “remain in” him. For example, when Jesus asks the first disciples what they want, they do not ask him, “Where are you going?” but, “Where are you staying?” This “remaining” points to the mystery of Jesus’ ongoing presence within his disciples.

The fact that we each sprout individually from the vine which is Christ does not mean that we are separated from one another. Jesus connects us not only to himself but to one another. Together we form the one vine which extends its branches throughout the world and bears fruit in love. The woman who folds her hands to pray in Tennessee draws life from the same source as the man who kneels down in Bangladesh. The teenager who visits the sick in Buenos Aires does so with the same love that moves a rich woman to give her coat to a homeless person in Lisbon. It is the same Jesus who continues to be present and active throughout the world just as he promised his disciples.

At the Eucharist, we gather to witness the transformation of “the fruit of the vine and work of human hands” into the very life blood of Christ. It is the source of our life and its highest expression. We offer with the gifts of bread and wine all that we are and all that we have done. It does not always seem like much. But we offer it precisely so that it can be transformed into something beyond our power to achieve. Pondering the mystery of the life of Jesus within us will make us grow in our longing to be united with him through Holy Communion. And it strengthens our sense of unity with other Christian believers throughout the world.

In Christ we remain connected to one another through him.
Douglas Sousa

Prayer

Lord Jesus, You are the vine and we are the branches.
Because of you, we are alive. Because of you, we bear fruit.
As we reach out to you, keep us mindful of the needy who yearn to be reached out to.
As we stretch out our hands to you, let us also stretch out our hands to the hungry so that the fruit we bear in you may nourish others.

Amen

Third Sunday of Easter—Hope for the Resurrection of our Bodies

Kathy Weekly message

In this last year we’ve all been reminded of our mortality countless times as we’ve watched the COVID-19 pandemic sweep over the world. But as part of the Body of Christ, there is a hope that awaits our mortal bodies, and to see it, we need look no further than this Sunday’s readings!

 “The author of life you put to death, but God raised him from the dead; of this we are witnesses!” The promise of Christ proclaimed by Peter is not only good news for us in the present moment — the redemption from sin — but good news for us for eternity, too. As Catholics, our theology of the end is very specific. While our bodies and souls separate at death, we do not continue on as glowing, disembodied spirits for all of time. The resurrection of Christ foretells our own destiny — the resurrection of the body.

The Apostles lived in a world where, to paraphrase Thomas Hobbes, life was often “nasty, brutish, and short.” Among the powerful and privileged, the highest priority was bringing glory to the family name and producing enough strong offspring to continue the line. The rich could hire alchemists and magicians in the quest for immortality and eternal youth. Without modern medicine, any injury could be potentially life threatening and every illness suspected to take a severe turn for the worse. When Jesus hung upon the Cross that Good Friday, even the most hopeful among them had no reason to suspect that — once he was taken down — there would be any more to the story.

It comes as no surprise, then, that Jesus emphasizes what he does when he appears to the Apostles. “‘Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see … they gave him a piece of baked fish; he took it and ate it in front of them.” Jesus’ return is no ghostly apparition. He has not emerged from the tomb as a luminous being, pure spirit shed of its earthly shell. Jesus is still Jesus. He is still fully God and fully man. When Jesus conquers death, he does so as a human being in his very flesh and blood. Not only that, but he is a human being who still bears the scars of inflicted violence.

In the face of suffering, the thought of sloughing off our mortal coil may feel all too promising. Yet, by his resurrection, Jesus reinforces our bodiliness. He doesn’t negate it. Jesus redeems us through the offering of his life and the gift of his body. Through his example, we see that our bodies have moral potential. We act out our sin or sanctity, our vice or virtue, through our bodies. In the second reading, John speaks of just that. “He is expiation for our sins … the way we may be sure that we know him is to keep his commandments.” In other words, while the grace of God is living and effective in our life, our choices matter. And we enact those choices in and through our bodies. Our hands extend an offering to the poor. Our feet operate the gas pedal in our car to move us to church on Sunday. Our brains process the decision to obey God or to deny Him.

 Our bodies matter. Life matters! Christianity is not a denial of the material world but a participation in its sanctification. This Third Sunday of Easter, be aware of the choices you make in and through your body. How do you reveal your love to your friends? What decisions do you make about the food and drink you consume and offer to others? To whom do you offer them? When you look at your own wounds — physical and emotional — how do they affect the way you see the world and interact with those around you? Remember, we worship a resurrected God. We are disciples of a resurrected Savior. “Of this we are witnesses.” Will we choose a life for all the world to see?

 Anna Carter

Spring Cleaning and Planting

Getting tired of being indoors?   Come join fellow parishioners while we spruce up and plant flowers in the church and school garden beds. So bring your yard tools and join us, Sat. May 15rd,  9 am-12 pm. Doughnuts, drinks and safe distance fellowship provided. If you have any questions, contact Eileen MacDonell, 313-592-0481.Thank for your help ahead of time.

 

Happy Easter, Christ is Risen, Alleluia!

Kathy From our Pastor, Uncategorized

Dear Parishioners,

 On behalf of the parish and school staff, I would like to wish you and your family a Happy Easter. Easter is the most important feast in the Christian calendar and it is a great joy for us to celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord.  It is not just the end of our period of penance and sacrifice, but the beginning of a new life in Christ the risen Lord. Easter brings so many promises of God to us, life is stronger than death, love can overcome hate, goodness ultimately triumphs over evil and eternity and glory with God in Heaven are our destiny. 

 As the “Exsultet”, the great Easter song or the great Easter proclamation states clearly that the grace of this most wonderful event “dispels all evil, washes guilt away, restores lost innocence, brings mourners joy; it casts out hatred, brings us peace, and humbles earthly pride…” may these things come true for all of us as we keep moving forward.

 Thank you for your care and support for St. Valentine Parish and the School. We are indeed blessed to have your selfless and loving dedication.

 I pray that the Risen Lord may continue to bless each one of you and keep you safe with His Peace and Courage and may the Easter Joy continue to fill your hearts and homes throughout this season.

 Happy Easter, Christ is Risen, Alleluia!

Fr. Socorro Fernandes

 Pallottine Collection 2021

Kathy From our Pastor

     On Palm Sunday a Second Collection will be made that will go toward the works and missions of the Pallottines in India. I know there have been several 2nd collections during Lent, we are not asking for a big amount; whatever you give will go a long way for the good of the missions. And if you are not able to do that, then just offer a prayer for our missionary works and you will feel blessed.

      Since the last time I have written about the Pallottine Missions a lot has happened in our Province which is the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Province (ABVM). Until December 2019 we were Three Provinces in the whole of India. Since January of 2020 ABVM Province gave birth to Our Lady of Good Health Province and Gloria Dei Region. This has taken place in order to accommodate growth within the order. I have been appointed as the in-charge of the Mission Coordination work for ABVM Province.

 As I have mentioned before, our ministry here helps our Province in India to continue and to support our missionary works including the formation of seminarians. Besides that here is a glimpse of some of the activities we are now engaging ourselves in:

 · Home for the destitute and the aged. (A place for the destitute both men and women.) Presently we have 28 residents. Here we have two dormitories, for men and women. As the destitute are with varied psychological backgrounds, it’s difficult to keep them in one dormitory. The need of the place is to construct individual rooms for both men and women and also to make provision for the increasing number of residents and to accommodate them. Another requirement is the sustenance of the house. We are developing a dairy farm as one of the sources of income to achieve self-sustenance. We also help people with medical aid.

· Tuition Center’s in our missions: poor children are given tuition. Establishing the tuition centers is the need. There isn’t a structure to accommodate these students. Either we bring them to the church campus or any of the villages and impart education. Secondly, we support the teachers by paying their salaries from the Mission Secretariat.

· Educational scholarship to the students in mission areas (An annual program that has been carried out over the years now). Especially the poor who cannot afford to pay their school fees, financial help is given.

· Educational outreach: During this year of the pandemic, we have reached out to the students through our educational institutions: particularly distribution of smart phones and laptops as an aid to attend online classes to the needy who otherwise would have had to skip this academic year.

· House construction: Financial aid is given to the less privileged to have a better living facility. Financial aid is also needed for the construction of places of worship and presbyteries in mission stations.

      Out of the 13 years since the Pallottines started ministering here, I have been blessed to serve you for 7 years. Your prayers, words of encouragement and your support helps me to keep serving you all the more. Let us keep up our good works. May our Founder St. Vincent Pallotti and our Patroness Mary Queen of the Apostles continue to guide me as I minister to you.

 

     Thank you everyone for all your beautiful birthday wishes.  It was truly over whelming!!  

 

   God Bless you.

 Fr. Socorro

 

5th Sunday of Lent

Kathy Weekly message

The history of the Jewish people tells of their relationship with God – a relationship that ebbed and flowed, grew hot and cold, went from a passionate, loving bond to infidelity.  Every time Israel turned their backs to the Lord, He came back with a new sign of His love, a new covenant by which He reaffirmed His love for His people.  This Lent we have been hearing the stories of what led up to three of the covenants, the promises God made to His people.

In today’s first reading, we hear about yet another new covenant.  This one will be different, though.  God saw that a rainbow in the sky, or promising a nation whose members numbered more than the sands on the seashore, or giving the people His words written on stone were not enough. All these signs of the covenants God made with His people were not enough for them to internalize His message.  With this new covenant, God wanted to show His desire to have a greater personal relationship with His people.

 

          “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new       covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah.

           I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. 

          And I will be their God, and they shall be my people; for they shall all know me.”   Jeremiah 31:31-33

 When Jeremiah wrote these words, the Jews were captured by the Babylonians and exiled from Jerusalem. The words were meant to console them, to remind them that they were not abandoned by God, even though they had turned from Him.  God wanted to assure His people that He was with them always.  He wanted to restore their broken relationship caused by the Jews’ infidelity. This new covenant was about God forgiving us of our sins, offering us mercy, salvation, and life. He opens His arms again to us, wrapping us up in His love.

 “God will make a new covenant within them and write it on their hearts!” (Jer 31:33-34).  “Create in me a clean heart,” we reply with Psalm 51.  Are we willing to live the words we pray?  How do we internalize the words of the covenant?  How are we keeping God’s promises?

Next week is Holy Week, are we living the promise? Living the covenant?

Confessions are heard in the Church on Friday from 6 p.m.—7 p.m. prior to Stations of the Cross.