May 2014

I am my parents’ son

very now and then I will say something in a certain way or act in a certain fashion that makes me stop and wonder when one of my parents took over my body. More often than not I find these instances to be pretty humorous. They also are powerful reminders of the profound influence that our parents can have upon us.

T. Gennara

My parents are fairly private people – they don’t generally like it when a lot of attention is placed upon them. As a couple married for 57 years this year, they enjoy one another’s company and stay pretty close to home. At this point in their lives, their greatest pleasures revolve around home and family. Although they shy away from the limelight, I am mindful that many people have actually met my parents and have come to know them – in an interesting and unusual way. My mom is a retired registered nurse and nursing educator. She had a very successful career in both fields prior to making the time to raise her family. She resumed her career as I entered my junior year in high school, and eventually retired as a well-respected professional educator. By her nature, my mom tends to be very sensitive to the emotions of others, and she has a very keen ability to read situations based on body language and a host of other non-verbal cues. She also is a very gifted teacher, able to take very complex concepts and make them easily accessible for people of all ages. Mom also is an accomplished musician and artist. As is often the case with very strong couples, my dad’s nature and skills are very different from my mom’s, and yet Dad’s abilities are very complementary to Mom’s. Dad spent his professional career as an electrical and mechanical engineer. He has a very keen sense of appreciation for how things work. My sense is that Dad from the editor can fix or repair pretty much anything as Father Dwight Ezop is editor of FAITH long as he has some baling twine and Magazine and pastor of St. John the Evangelist chewing gum. As an engineer, Dad’s mind in Fenton. Email: editor@FAITHpub.com. is highly trained in math and he can be very analytical in nature. He has an innate ability to evaluate situations and understand why things are the way they are. Dad also has a deep appreciation for history and is fascinated by how the items that are a part of our everyday lives have changed and developed through the centuries. Although many people have not met my parents, they have met them through me. As I enter into mid-life, I have a growing and deepening appreciation for the many ways my parents have profoundly influenced my life. Who I am and the ways that I look at the world around me are a wonderful hybrid of so many aspects of my parents. I love to teach, and I can be very analytical. I deeply value people and emotions, but I am also fascinated by gadgets. I have my mother’s love for art and music, and my dad’s love for history and science. In becoming more aware of my parents’ influence upon my life, I also have the continued opportunity to honor my mother and father. I happily embrace these many aspects of my own life and I can now see how they are rooted in both who and how my parents are in the world. I also know that my parents share a profound love for God and deep faith. This, too, is a gift they have given me, and my choice to be a person of faith is also a way that I honor my mother and father. It seems to me that how we honor our parents has to do with loving and respecting them as well as loving, respecting and appreciating the many ways they have influenced each of us to become who we are. With Mother’s Day and Father’s Day just around the corner, perhaps we have a new opportunity to thank God for the influence that our parents have upon us and how we, in turn, can honor them in how we live each day. And so, with thanks to God, Mom and Dad, our journey in FAITH continues. 2

FAITH Magazine • May 2014 • www.FAITHpub.com

LEARN FROM SINFULNESS

Blessed Juliana of Norwich Feast Day: May 13 The word “sin” can be defined as “to miss the mark.” In this sense, sin connotes our failure to live in harmony with that for which we are created – eternal life in communion with the Trinity. Blessed Juliana of Norwich (1342– 1416) was a Benedictine English mystic. Very little is known of her life except for her writings, which may explain why she has never been formally beatified. She was 30 when her life changed dramatically. She fell seriously ill and experienced a series of intense visions of Jesus Christ. These visions ended when she recovered from her illness, and she immediately wrote about them in Revelations of Divine Love. It is there that she wrote some of her most famous words regarding the love of God – “All will be well, and all will be well, and all manner of things will be well.” The subject of sin figured prominently in these writings. Blessed Juliana believed that sin was necessary because it can bring us to a greater self-knowledge. Critical to her understanding of sin was her belief that we learn from failing. The pain caused by sin is an earthly reminder of the pain of the Passion of Christ. As people suffer as Christ did, they grow closer to him by their experiences. In other words, sin actually can lead us to eternal life – provided we see it as failure and learn from it. For Juliana, this recognition of sin as failure and our resolution to learn from it were essential.

Liturgical Calendar: St. Joseph the Worker May 1 | St. Athanasius, bishop and doctor of the Church May 2 | Ss. Philip

contents

May 2014

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yourlife

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work life My two employees don’t like each other – what do I do? parenting journey I want to find the child I gave up for adoption conflict resolution I don’t want a mosque in my neighborhood – Should I protest? your marriage matters He says: “Our adult son moved back in, and I want him out.” She says: “He’s being selfish, our son is always welcome.” What do they do? culture Maybe Mom was right – Developing a taste for Brussels sprouts and God’s laws

J. Luning

COVER STORY Keeping family in the family farm

yourfaith

in the know with Father Joe Why can’t Catholics be Masons? spiritual fitness Ask Jesus to increase your faith theology 101 The Fourth Commandment – Honor your father and mother

10 14 16

yourstories

SPECIAL REPORT: The meaning of marriage

FROM THE BISHOP: In thanks for women

Ann Jacob MANAGING EDITOR The Magazine of the Catholic Diocese of Lansing Volume 15: Issue 3 www.FAITHpub.com Most Reverend Earl Boyea PUBLISHER Rev. Dwight Ezop EDITOR AND CHAIRMAN

www.FAITHcatholic.com Patrick M. O’Brien PRESIDENT/CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Elizabeth Martin Solsburg DIRECTOR OF CUSTOM PUBLISHING/ EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Cynthia Vandecar MARKETING MANAGER Patrick Dally ART DIRECTOR Jillane Job EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

profile of an evangelist ‘Why shouldn’t I?’ Theresa’s life as her parents’ care-giver my story Serving their country, serving God – Three generations of a military family

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Bob Patten CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATOR Most Rev. Carl F. Mengeling FOUNDING PUBLISHER Rev. Charles Irvin FOUNDING EDITOR For advertising information: Call 517.853.7600 For subscription information: Call 1.866.76.FAITH

FAITHTM (USPS 019993) is a publication of FAITH Catholic, Diocese of Lansing, 1500 E. Saginaw St., Lansing, MI 48906-5550. FAITHTM is a membership publication of the Catholic Diocese of Lansing and is published monthly except for February and August. To purchase a subscription, log on to FAITHmag.com. If you have a change of address, please contact your parish. Periodicals postage paid in Lansing, MI and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to FAITHTM, 1500 E. Saginaw St., Lansing MI 48906-5550. ©2013 FAITH Catholic. FAITH is a trademark of FAITH Catholic.

p and James, apostles May 3 | Third Sunday of Easter May 4 | St. Damien de Veuster of Moloka’i, priest May 10 | Fourth Sunday of Easter May 11 | Ss. Nereus and Achilleus, martyrs May 12

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work life Jim Berlucchi is the executive director of the Spitzer Center, whose mission is to build cultures of evangelization (www.spitzercenter.org).

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My two employees don’t like each other

WHAT DO I DO?

I have two employees who really dislike each other. I know I can’t make everybody be friends, but their snippy comments and complaints about each other are detrimental to the office environment. Do you have any tips for me?

You have two problems here. One is bite-sized. The other is super-sized. Your bite-sized problem is two employees who at face value might be unfit for a professional workplace. They’ve let unresolved conflicts fester and escalate and are behaving like junior high rivals. Sit them down and identify specific complaints and help them reach a resolution. You be the judge and arbiter. Point them in a positive direction, but let them know their behavior is out of bounds. Schedule a second meeting in one week

FAITH Magazine • May 2014 • www.FAITHpub.com

to monitor their progress or regression. If they’re of good will, this approach should work. If they remain rigid, bitter and uncooperative, however, perhaps they have relinquished their right to work in a culture that demands respect and collegiality. Culture. That’s your super-sized problem. You’ve heard it said: Culture eats strategy for lunch. Invest in your culture and most everything else will fall into place. Sadly, your current culture allows intolerable behavior. So, you have your work cut out for you.

•F irst, decide what kind of culture you want to have. Identify three or four specific values you want to rule in your company (or department). Typical values include excellence, teamwork, respect, creativity and customer focus. Involve your employees in brainstorming and voting on their top values. • Second, print, post and proclaim them in the work environment – on the walls, desks, business cards and website. • Third, set a rhythm or pattern of focusing on them, and try to be systematic. For example, you could perhaps highlight one each month. • Fourth, talk about what behaviors reflect your values. These are the “Beauties.” Ask employees to cite examples of their colleagues living them out. Let them honor one another. It does wonders for relationships. •F ifth, identify behaviors that violate your values. These are the “Beasts.” Here’s a relevant sample: respect, gossip, complaining, belittling, deception, stealing. These Beasts would violate any decent values you’ve adopted. If you’ve got buy-in on the Beauties and the Beasts, you have the foundation for creating a healthy culture that will attract and retain good employees. It also will ensure an atmosphere of respect and tolerance that will even work to harmonize incompatible personalities.

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Our Lady of Fatima May 13 | St. Matthias, apostle May 14 | Fifth Sunday of Easter May 18 | St. Bernardine of Siena, p

Christ has risen,

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priest May 20 | St. Christopher Magallanes, priest and companions, martyrs, May 21 | St. Rita of Cascia, religious May 22 | Sixth Sunday of Easter May 25 | St. Philip Neri, priest May 26

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S. Kendrick

conflict resolution Dr. Gelasia Marquez is a psychologist and family counselor.

I want to find the child I gave up for adoption

I gave up my daughter for adoption shortly after I gave birth. Now that she is grown, I want to find her. What should I expect?

T. Gennara

Reunion experiences vary tremendously, and they are often bittersweet. Given the complexity of the triad involved (biological parents, adoptive parents, adopted child), there are many different paths your own reunion might take. But you can expect change. Birth Bond: Reunions between Birthparents and Adoptees – What Happens After chronicles a wide range of reunions in the form of interviews with birth mothers about their post-reunion experiences. As the authors of the book write, “Reunions rearrange lives.” (New Horizon Press, 64) This is true for birth fathers, as well. A search for self. The quest for identity is a common concern among children, especially adolescents. In reunions with birth mothers, children given up for adoption have an opportunity to fillin-the-blanks of key aspects of their life stories. This may provide a sense of completion, of knowing one’s own story. The birth mother, may have some of her questions answered about the child’s parenting too, experiences after the adoption. journey To stay, or not stay, connected. It may be that a need to establish a connection will lead to a fulfilling relationship, or it may be Dr. Cathleen McGreal is enough to learn more about one’s early history. Research investigating a psychology the experiences of 48 British adults who had been reunited with their professor and certified spiritual birth mothers more than eight years earlier found that 84 percent felt director. the reunion had provided answers to important life questions. (British Journal of Social Work, 2001, 351–68) For some, these answers are enough and the individuals drift apart. Others build relationships. Among those who do stay in contact with biological mothers, the frequency of contact is lower than contact with their adoptive mothers. Realistic expectations. Reagan Curtis and Frances Pearson point out that many reunions are preceded by unrealistic expectations and fantasies. (Journal of Social Work, Oct. 2010) They note that it takes patience and sensitivity to work out new roles, to decide what terms to use when referring to one another and to negotiate the obligations of the relationship. As some questions are answered, new issues emerge. Counseling from a psychologist or social worker specializing in adoption may be beneficial for thorny issues. Pray for guidance as you seek a reunion with your daughter, remembering that we are all God’s children. “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God … The spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” (Rom. 8:14, 16) What do you think? Follow FAITHpub on 6

FAITH Magazine • May 2014 • www.FAITHpub.com

I don’t want a mosque in my neighborhood Should I protest?

They are planning to put a mosque in my neighborhood – along with the noisy call to prayer that occurs several times a day. Is it unreasonable for me to protest?

We live in a world of religious pluralism. Pilgrims came to America aboard the Mayflower in search of religious freedom. Millions have followed and been free to practice their own faith. In 1965, the Second Vatican Council released Nostra Aetate (In Our Time), a declaration concerning religious tolerance. The document explains that the followers of many religions believe in worshipping God, and use religion to find meaning in their lives. Because of this, Catholics are encouraged to tolerate other religious beliefs, including Islam. Both Catholics and Muslims can trace their faith back to Abraham. Muslims believe that Jesus was a prophet, and they honor the Virgin Mary. Although a violent history exists between these two faiths, the Catholic Church extends an olive branch in Nostra Aetate and suggests that the two religions coexist peacefully. I strongly recommend you welcome the sound of the Adhan, or the call to prayer, as a blessing to allow you to pause and thank God for your blessings. Remember, some of your neighbors may be tolerating church bells from your local parish on Sunday morning.

St. Augustine of Canterbury, bishop May 27 | Ascension of the Lord May 29 | Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary May 31

HE says

SHE says

“Our adult son moved back in, and I want him out”

Sheila says: Jim is just being selfish. Our son needs a place to stay and this is his home. As far as I’m concerned, he can stay as long as he wants. So what if we have a little extra laundry and cleaning?

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Jim says: I was really enjoying our empty nest after the last chick had flown the coop. But now one of our kids has come home to roost. And it is causing us no end of conflict, because I want him to figure out what he’s doing and move out again. Sheila is loving having someone to coddle.

“He’s being selfish, our son is always welcome”

What do THEY do? im and Sheila are experiencing an event that has become common these days – an adult child returning home. The catalyst for this event may be the economy, a loss of a job or even a divorce. Regardless of why it happens, it is important for parents to agree on how they are going to respond.

T. Gennara

Anticipating these major events allows a As parents, we want our children to couple to pre-plan what life will be like, succeed and we will do what we can to to open a dialogue regarding not only help, including opening our home to the “whats, whys and hows,” but also them. It seems that what Jim and Sheila the “feelings, desires and needs” of the failed to do before their child returned, new environment. Only then can a however, was to discuss their own married couple make rational plan of action. In other decisions and formulate words, how will this dynamic affect their own plans. Jim and activities and relaThis also is the Sheila’s first tionship with each time to develop a priority needs to contingency plan other? be the nurturing of in case every event Jim and Sheila’s their own marriage does not happen as first priority needs relationship, and the expected. Taking to be the nurtursecond priority is tendit to prayer, and ing of their own ing to the welfare of asking the Holy marriage relationtheir son. Spirit to guide you ship, and the second through this new event, priority is tending to will lessen your anxiety. the welfare of their son. Scripture reminds us that, When couples go through “The human heart plans the way, a life-changing event (such as but the Lord directs the steps.” (Proverbs becoming an “empty-nester”), they must 16:9) By taking it to prayer, Jim and Sheila’s reinvent themselves as a couple. Every change requires a couple to reinvent their actions will be grounded in love. The coupleness, and an adult child returning Lord will help them stay on track and do home is certainly one of those occasions. the right thing. Even though their son has

returned, Jim and Shelia would do well to focus on making each other the center of their lives by spending quality time reinventing themselves as a couple and affirming each other. Being a mother, it is not unusual that Sheila loves having her son return home. your It rekindles her feeling of being marriage a needed mom. matters Once Jim and Deacon Tom Sheila have come and JoAnne to a mutual Fogle help prepare couples agreement on the for marriage. boundaries of their son’s temporary stay, it is most appropriate to have a discussion and lay out those expectations with him. Both Jim and Sheila can demonstrate warm and loving hospitality to their son, while also making each other the center of their lives; the two actions are not mutually exclusive.

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MAYBE MOM WAS RIGHT Developing a taste for Brussels sprouts and God’s laws

S. Folkertsma

T. Gennara

While I had a typical relationship with Brussels sprouts as a kid, I actually enjoy them now – if they are prepared in a tastier and more creative way. But I can’t help seeing a metaphor here, and it has to do with God’s laws. As we get older, the things that seemed so anathema to us as children develop an appeal. I don’t really eat Brussels sprouts as an adult because I now love them so much. I eat them in large part because I culture know they are good for me. And knowing something is good Michelle for us makes it more, well … appetizing. DiFranco is a designer and the God’s laws work that way, too. At first they can seem like a busy mom of bunch of rules designed to make life less appealing and tastetwo children. less, like poorly prepared and overcooked Brussels sprouts. But, after time, as we mature, we realize the extent to which those laws, in the end, protect us and make life more joyful. The laws themselves become a thing of beauty. The Fourth Commandment says to honor thy mother and father. Why did God need to tell us that? He only gave us Ten Commandments. Seems interesting that he would use up one whole commandment on telling children to do what their parents dictate. Perhaps God knew parents were going to cook soggy Brussels sprouts. As kids, it seems the Fourth Commandment tells us to honor mothers and fathers because, well, “I am God and I said so.” But as we get older, with the benefit of experience and age, we comprehend the wisdom in our parents’ instruction. We realize it’s not just because “he said so,” but also because he knows what is good for us. As adults, we cherish and seek the counsel of our parents and we honor them, not simply because we are told to, but because it seems so natural and, like Brussels sprouts, so good for us. I don’t expect my kids will obey me all the time each day, even though they have been taught the Ten Commandments. But I do expect that, with time, many things will become more tasteful to them, because they will come to understand the beauty and value in what those things offer. Oh, and while we’re on the subject, even though we moms may invoke the Fourth Commandment from time to time to get children to eat their Brussels sprouts, I don’t mind sharing a recipe from modern cuisine that helps reduce the whining when dinner includes our children’s “natural enemies.” 8

FAITH Magazine • May 2014 • www.FAITHpub.com

S. Folkertsma

or the longest time, Brussels sprouts have gotten a bad rap. We are haunted by childhood memories of choking them down at the dinner table in order to get our dessert. They’ve been the antagonists in countless TV shows, dating way back to the 1950s. (Remember the episode of Leave it to Beaver when Beaver hid them in his pocket?) Let’s face it, Brussels sprouts and kids are natural enemies. Mongoose and the snake. Water and electricity. Kids and Brussels sprouts …

Truly tasty ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS 1 ½ pounds Brussels sprouts cut in half (frozen is fine, if fresh ones aren’t available) 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 3 slices of bacon finely chopped 1 medium-to-large red onion peeled and sliced Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon good quality balsamic vinegar Fresh Brussels sprouts are in season late summer to early fall. If you are using frozen ones, make sure they are thawed first. Oven roasting will crisp them up. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss Brussels sprouts, sliced onion, bacon, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Lay flat and evenly spread out on a baking sheet. Roast for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until tender and medium golden brown on the edges (and the bacon is cooked). Give the pan a shake or flip sprouts with a spatula halfway through roasting. Place in a serving dish and drizzle balsamic vinegar over the top. Give sprouts a final toss just before serving.

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S. Folkertsma

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Q: What do you call leftover aliens? A: Extra Terrestrials.

Dear Father Joe: What is the Church’s teaching regarding being a member of a Freemason Lodge? I was taught it is a grave sin and that members of a Masonic Lodge should not go to communion, but I know Masons in my Church who do.

In many ways, this question leads to many disputed points. There is a lot of bad or contradicting information out there about the Masons and what the Church teaches about it. Let’s start with why there is some confusion. Some confusion revolved around the Code of Canon Law published in 1917. In this code was the following law:

FAITH Magazine • May 2014 • www.FAITHpub.com

Those who join a Masonic sect or other societies of the same sort, which plot against the Church or against legitimate civil authority, incur ipso facto an excommunication simply reserved to the Holy See. (Canon 2335)

T. Gennara

Why can’t Catholics be MASONS?

in the know with Father Joe If you’d like to submit a question

Historically, Masons were well for Father Joe Krupp to consider in a future column, known for plotting against the please send it to: joeinblack@ Church and financially supportpriest.com. Father Joe is unable to personally answer questions. ing organizations that attacked the Church. However, as some of the Masons seemed to be moving more away from anti-Catholicism and were noted for their many and fine works of charity, folks began to reason that since their particular lodge had no history of attacking Catholics it was okay to join them. Church leaders even seemed to struggle with this idea: if an individual lodge isn’t active in or even concerned with attacking Catholicism but is doing charitable works, maybe it’s OK to join? To add to Illustration by Bob Patten

the confusion, Canon Law removed specific mention of the Masons in the line that previously addressed them. To address this confusion and clarify the Church’s teaching on Catholics joining the Freemasons, the Sacred Congregation released the following statement in 1983 with the approval of Pope John Paul II: The Church’s negative position on Masonic association … remains unaltered, since their principles have always been regarded as irreconcilable with the Church’s doctrine. Hence, joining them remains prohibited by the Church. Catholics enrolled in masonic associations are involved in serious sin and may not approach Holy Communion.

pope watch What POPE FRANCIS has been saying and doing this month

(November 26, 1983)

Why would the Church hold fast to this position if many, perhaps even most, Masons had no desire to attack the Church but do good works and provide a fraternal organization? Because the anti-Catholic talk and action were only part of the problem. The key issue for the Church concerning the Masons revolves around the idea of presenting a kind of stripped-down and reworked alternative to Christianity. This is best summarized by this paragraph in the New Catholic Encyclopedia:

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DID YOU KNOW?

Pope Francis used to dance the TANGO when he was young.

Reuters

There are other reasons that we Catholics cannot and should not join the Masons, but I think we’ve got enough here. Holy Mother Church has been asked if Catholics can be Masons and she has answered with a resounding “No.” Many active, faithful Catholics are simply not aware of the history of this conflict or the current stance we hold as Catholics, and have been participating in the Masonic rites and rituals without knowing that they are not to do so. This is one of those times when we recognize that God, in his mercy, does not judge us for what we do not know (with some exceptions). So, now you know. I imagine, for some people, this is really sad to hear and there may even be some anger. I ask you to invite Jesus into this moment and go sit with him at Church. Pray and ask him to guide you into what to do. I would recommend a couple of things here. You could join the Knights of Columbus: a fantastic Catholic fraternal order which offers men opportunities to gather, pray and do good works. If your Knights Council isn’t particularly active or as Christ-focused as you’d like, talk to your priest about forming a men’s group at your parish. Bring with you the things you liked from the Masons and reshape them into a group more consistent with our Catholic Faith. Enjoy another day in God’s presence.

CNS photo/Stefano Spaziani

Freemasonry displays all the elements of religion, and as such it becomes a rival to the religion of the Gospel. It includes temples and altars, prayers, a moral code, worship, vestments, feast days, the promise of reward and punishment in the afterlife, a hierarchy and initiative and burial rites. (Vol. 6, p. 137)

U.S. PRESIDENT OBAMA ACCEPTS GIFT FROM POPE FRANCIS DURING PRIVATE AUDIENCE AT VATICAN: Pope Francis gave President Barack Obama a red leather bound copy of his apostolic exhortation, “Evangelii Gaudium” (The Joy of the Gospel), in front of a private audience at the Vatican. Obama mentioned that he would read it when he is “deeply frustrated”, and that it would “give him strength and calm him down”, to which the Pope responded “I hope”.

Pope Francis blesses a baby as he arrives to lead the general audience in Saint Peter’s Square at the Vatican.

FROM THE POPE

THE CHURCH NEEDS YOU, your enthusiasm, your creativity and the joy that is so characteristic of you. 11

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GOD HIMSELF IS THE AUTHOR OF MARRIAGE: “The intimate community of life and love which constitutes the married state has been established by the Creator and endowed by him with its own proper laws”

The meaning of marriage

great debate is currently raging in the United States over the meaning of marriage. Contraception, divorce and cohabitation all have presented formidable challenges to the institution of marriage, which was already under heavy attack by economic and social forces. Now, the relatively new issue of same-sex unions has emerged. In the face of all this, what does the Church have to teach us about the true nature of marriage? Both a natural institution…

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (1601) states this about the marriage covenant: “... by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation

WORK TO BE DONE

How do the numbers illustrate the catechetical work that needs to be done in the U.S.? A 2013 survey published by Gallup reports:

FAITH Magazine • May 2014 • www.FAITHpub.com

and education of offspring.” As such, it is a natural blessing arising from the natural order of creation for all humanity in all times and cultures. It is true that the institution of marriage has gone through many variations in different cultures, social structures and spiritual

attitudes throughout the centuries. However, while a natural institution, marriage is not purely a human institution. “The intimate community of life and love which constitutes the married state has been established by the Creator and endowed by him with its own proper laws ... God himself is the author of marriage.” (1603) In the 2009 pastoral letter, “Marriage: Love and Life in the Divine Plan,” the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) reiterates that this natural institution is a gift. The “gift of marriage is something we receive, not something we construct or change to fit our purposes. It is a firm foundation, a truthful guide, a trustworthy light for the way.” Because marriage is from God, the U.S. Bishops teach that it is endowed with certain essential attributes, without which it cannot exist as God intends. Among these attributes are exclusivity in the relationship between one man and one woman until death that cannot be dissolved by the simple will of the spouses; marriage as the foundation for the family; conjugal love, the love proper to marriage, as present in the commitment to the complete and total gift of self between husband and wife; the clinging together of husband and wife as one flesh in complementarity; and the formation of a unique communion of persons.

And a sacrament The U.S. Bishops further assert that marriage is not only crucial to society on a natural level, because it forms its foundation, but that it is also crucial to the Church on the supernatural level. “Through baptism, men and women are transformed, by the power of the Holy Spirit, into a new creation in Christ. This new life in the Holy Spirit heals men and women from sin and elevates them to share in God‘s very own divine life. It is within this new Christian context that Jesus has raised marriage between the baptized to the dignity of a sacrament. He heals marriage and restores it to its original purity of perma-

52% 60% 51% 23%

of American adults support same-sex marriage

of Catholics support same-sex marriage

of Americans who attend church nearly weekly or monthly support same-sex marriage

of Americans who attend church weekly support same-sex marriage

nent self-giving in one flesh (see Mt 19:6).” By revealing his own love as the perfection of all love, Jesus reveals the deepest meaning of all marital love: self-giving love modeled on God‘s inner life and love. Thus, the meaning of marriage, specifically and universally, is only fully accessible when we are open to accepting the transcendent meaning of marriage according to God‘s plan.

On redefining marriage

Those interested in learning more about the Church’s teaching on marriage or in resources for strengthening their own marriage should visit the USCCB website at www.usccb.org. There, one can find Vatican/papal statements, U.S. Bishops’ statements, Catholic marriage and family life associations and movements and other resources. In addition, there is a special website set up by the USCCB specifically for married couples called “For Your Marriage” at www.foryourmarriage.org.

Diocesan Courage and EnCourage programs The Diocese of Lansing provides information for men and women who are attracted to same-sex individuals. Bishop Earl Boyea supports these programs through the diocesan office. Courage is a spiritual support group that helps Catholic men and women live in accordance with the Church’s teaching on same-sex attraction. Courage members strive to develop lives of chastity in union with Christ. The EnCourage Support Group is primarily for parents, but siblings and spouses also can attend. Confidentiality is important to both groups. For more information on the meetings, or to discuss the issue of same-sex attraction, contact the diocesan office at 517.342.2596 or email caverart@ comcast.net. – Jan Hoffbauer

UNITIVE AND PROCREATIVE The key to understanding the Church’s view of marriage can be found in the two fundamental ends or purposes towards which it is oriented: the good of the spouses and the procreation of children. This means marriage is inseparably unitive and procreative. It is unitive because the human body, by its very nature, is directed to relationship, as it is only in relationship that we achieve a true wholeness as a communion of persons. God established marriage precisely so that man and woman could participate in his love and, thus, selflessly give themselves to each other in love. It is procreative because the nature of love is that of overflowing, of being life-giving. Marriage, then, is meant for not only growing in spousal love, but for transmitting life. In fact, children are the crowning glory of a marriage. Both these meanings are inseparable. The U.S. Bishops explain, “[T]he principal and original self-gift is the unitive, mutual self-gift of the spouses to each other. In their marriage promises, the spouses pledge love and fidelity for as long as they live. The transmission of life is a sublime, concrete realization of this radical self-gift between a man and a woman. The mutual married love of man and woman becomes an image of the absolute and unfailing love with which God loves man[kind], because, as mutual self-gift, it is at the same time creative self-gift. The unitive and the procreative meanings of marriage are joined because they are two aspects of the same self-giving.” ©DollarPhotoClub/Andy Dean

It should come as no surprise that the USCCB sees the proposition that persons of the same sex can marry as one of the most troubling developments in contemporary culture: “This proposal attempts to redefine the nature of marriage and the family and, as a result, harms both the intrinsic dignity of every human person and the common good of society.” Because same-sex unions are incapable of achieving either the unitive (lack of complementarity) or procreative (closed to life) ends of marriage, making them equivalent to marriage disregards the very nature of marriage. By attempting to redefine marriage to include or be made analogous with homosexual partnerships, the U.S. Bishops maintain that, “[S]ociety is stating that the permanent union of husband and wife, the unique pattern of spousal and familial love, and the generation of new life are now only of relative importance rather than being fundamental to the existence and well-being of society as a whole.” Nor is it a violation of justice to deny the validity of same-sex unions. In 2003, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, in Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions Between Homosexual Persons, stated, “Today, advocacy for the legal recognition of various same-sex relationships is often equated with nondiscrimination, fairness, equality and civil rights. However, it is not unjust to oppose legal recognition of same-sex unions, because marriage and same-sex unions are essentially different realities. The denial of the social and legal status of marriage to forms of cohabitation that are not and cannot be marital is not opposed to justice; on the contrary, justice requires it.” All this is to say that since marriage comes from God, not from the state or the Church (though both institutions regulate its practice), neither the Church nor the state can alter the meaning and structure of marriage in such a way as to grant equivalent status to same-sex unions.

Resources for strengthening marriage:

Ask Jesus to INCREASE YOUR FAITH T. Gennara

spiritual fitness Sister Ann Shields is a renowned author and a member of the Servants of God’s Love. Questions can be addressed to Sister Ann Shields, Renewal Ministries, 230 Collingwood, Suite 240, Ann Arbor, MI 48103. You can order her new book, More of the Holy Spirit, for $12 at www.renewalministries.net.

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here are two pivotal passages in John’s Gospel concerning the resurrection of Christ that call us to deeper faith and portray two obstacles to our growing in faith in Jesus and trusting in him – acknowledging our sin and doubt and asking for an increase in faith. The first passage is John 20:11–18:

But Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the body of Jesus had been. And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” She thought it was the gardener and said to him, “Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,” which means Teacher. Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and what he told her. Mary was a follower of Jesus, and her life had been transformed by her discipleship. Jesus had recognized in her a hunger and thirst for real love, and he offers that, which changes her life. She becomes a true disciple of the Lord. If he is now dead (as she believes), she wants, in her excess of devotion, to carry away his body and prepare it properly for burial. Her love is expressed in concrete action. Jesus sees her genuine grief that the only one who ever truly loved her is now dead … and he reveals himself by calling her name. She recognizes the voice of the one who loves and accepts his call to go and announce the Good News. Mary Magdalene found faith in Christ, a living dynamic faith that changed her life. This is available to you also. In order to be a true disciple, acknowledge your sin and chains will fall from your soul, regardless of how “old” the sin is or how “new” the offense. God always

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forgives those who come to him with true sorrow. Ask forgiveness for your wrongdoing and experience how personal God’s love is for you. The second passage comes a couple of chapters later in the Gospel of John (20:24-25): Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger in the nail marks, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe. Another obstacle that we must overcome is doubt.Thomas is a doubter, like most of us. We have been so trained in life to follow the directions of our senses. What we see, hear, touch, taste and smell show us what is real. Everything else, we declare, “is just someone’s opinion. If you want me to believe (whatever it is) you’ve got to show me.” Jesus knew that, so he showed his wounds to Thomas in a way that Thomas was forced to acknowledge the reality. And Thomas did so in a marvelous testimony of faith: “My Lord and my God!” Jesus gave him that proof in an overwhelming act of mercy so that we, too, might believe.

SPIRITUAL EXERCISE Though the Year of Faith has ended, God’s mercy never ends. When you find yourself doubting the words of Scripture – the teachings of Jesus – acknowledge that doubt to the Lord and ask him to impart faith or increase faith. Admit your sin. The grace of the resurrection is available to you now. Please open your heart that the burden may be lifted and the joy of the resurrection may grow in your heart and soul.

Read more spiritual fitness at: JESUS APPEARS TO MARY MAGDALENE by Lavinia Fontana, 1581

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theology 101 Doug Culp is the CAO and secretary for pastoral life for the Diocese of Lexington, Ky. He holds an MA in theology from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.

THE FOURTH GIFT: Honor your father and mother.

THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT Honor your father and mother

n the first three commandments, we receive the gifts of God’s self-revelation to humanity. We also learn what constitutes a proper response to this self-revelation and, thereby, a proper relationship to God. As we move forward in our reflections on the commandments, we will see that the final seven are gifts that primarily reveal God’s will for us in our relationships with each other.

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The “fourth word” of the Decalogue reveals to us the proper order of charity. Charity is a theological virtue, along with faith and hope. The theological virtues are freely given gifts from God that make it possible for us to participate in the divine life of the Holy Trinity. Charity is the virtue by “which we love God above all things for his own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God.” In other words, charity is both the new commandment and the virtue by which we keep the commandments that Christ gave us. It is the greatest of the virtues because it disposes us to participate most intimately in the life of God, who is Love itself. Charity is a fruit of the Spirit that blossoms in us when we are in a state of communion with the Spirit. When we are joyous, loving, peaceful, patient, kind, faithful, generous, gentle and exercising self-control, we are in communion with the Spirit precisely because it is only the Spirit who can produce this fruit. These fruits are witnesses to our living in harmony with that for which we were made: eternal life in communion with God. We are able to do this only by living in obedience to the commandments and teachings of Jesus, which makes it possible for the Spirit, to work in us. In his encyclical Deus Caritas Est, Pope emeritus Benedict XVI explains that our saying “yes” to the commandments of love are critical because it is only in service to our neighbor that our eyes can be opened to what God does for us and how much he loves us. “No longer is it a question, then, of a ‘commandment’ imposed from without and calling for the impossible, but rather of a freely-bestowed experience of love from within, a love which by its very nature must then be shared with others. Love grows through love.” (18)

The order of charity With this understanding of charity in mind, the Fourth Commandment reveals that it is God’s will that, after him, our honor is owed to our parents. Human parenthood finds both its source and foundation in the divine parenthood of God, and, therefore, commands the respect of children. According to the Catechism, it is a respect that derives from gratitude “toward those who, by the gift of life, their love and their work, have brought children into the world and enabled them to grow in stature, wisdom and grace.” The honor, or respect, called for by this commandment is shown by docility and obedience. Now, obedience gets a bad rap these days. However, obedience comes from the Latin obedire, which has as one of its meanings “to listen to.” And this is exactly what Jesus, the Son of God, did with regard to the Father’s will. If we look at what Jesus taught, we learn from him that he taught only what he heard from the Father in perfect conformity to the Father’s will (for example, see Jn 8:26; 28). This was because Jesus was/is in perfect communion with the Father and Spirit: “... of the same mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing.” (Phil 2:2) Jesus maintained this communion throughout his earthly ministry and would not break it for anything. And the essence or living out of this communion consisted in his obedience to the Father’s will. Because the Christian family is also a “communion of persons, a sign and image” of the Trinitarian communion, children should imitate Jesus’ relationship with his heavenly Father in their relationship with their earthly parents. The Fourth Commandment also reminds us that our duty to our parents does not end with childhood. In adulthood, we also must offer material and moral support to our parents in their old age to the extent that we are able, in the same spirit of gratitude that informed our respect for our parents in our youth. This gift also calls us to respect all members of our immediate and extended family and those from whom we “have received the gift of faith, the grace of baptism and life in the Church.” Finally, this fourth “word” instructs us to regard those in authority “as representatives of God, who has made them stew-

The Ten Commandments Bible geography facts Canaan is perhaps best known as the “promised land” that God gave to Abraham and his descendants. It encompasses modern-day Israel, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, the adjoining coastal lands and parts of Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. It is an area with a long history. For example, a settled agricultural community is believed to have existed at Jericho as early as 8,000 B.C. Canaan also was known as an intersection of the ancient commercial routes. As a result, caravans of traders from Cappadocia, Babylonia and Egypt all regularly passed through the land.

DID YOU KNOW? The earliest written mention of the area later called Canaan comes in the 18th century B.C. in Mesopotamian sources. Tablets found in the city of Nuzi refer to Kinahnu, or Canaan, as a synonym for red or purple dye, which was a major export of the region. ards of his gifts.” From this flows the duty for us to contribute to the good of society “in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity and freedom”; to willingly serve our country out of gratitude; and to submit to legitimate authority and service to the common good (which includes paying taxes, voting and defending our country).

The limit Of course, the Church does not teach us blind, unquestioning obedience to our parents, relatives or civil authorities. In short, while respect for our parents continues to be commanded of us at all ages, obedience to our parents is reserved for childhood and is required when directives

are for our own good or the good of the family. However, when a child is “convinced in conscience (assuming a properly formed conscience) that it would be morally wrong to obey a particular order,” he or she is not required to obey. Likewise, the “citizen is obliged in conscience (again assuming a properly formed conscience) not to follow the directives of civil authorities when they are contrary to the demands of the moral order, to the fundamental rights of persons or the teachings of the Gospel.” In other words, if the choice is between serving God or serving the political community, we must obey God. – All quotes, unless otherwise indicated, are from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1822; 2196–2242)

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS QUIZ The story of the Israelites’ journey from slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land has a large cast of characters. Test your knowledge of biblical figures and name this person: Q: This shepherd’s daughter from Midian ended up marrying Moses after his famous “well” rescue. A: Zipporah (daughter of Jethro).

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Mary, whom we honor in this month of May. Some may want to dismiss Mary since she was without sin and had the perfect kid (I know I did not provide that for my mom!) and a husband who received visions from God. How normal is that? Yet, the key to our honoring Mary is that we recognize that she wanted to do, and then did, the will of God, something that is a model for us all. We are celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, Easter. On the first Easter, Mary Magdalene told the disciples, “I have seen the Lord.” She handed on her faith; she proclaimed the Gospel; she did what any mother does and announced good news to her “family.” She has often been called the apostle to the apostles. My mother does not like it that I talk about family members during my homilies. However, she is rather taken by being called the “bishop’s mother” at from the bishop her parish Up North. Bishop Earl Boyea is the fifth bishop of the Catholic She also Diocese of Lansing spends a good hour each night reviewing all her memorial cards and praying for each and every one whose name is written on those cards. My youngest sisters are twin girls, 19 years younger than me, and they are great moms. They especially encourage their sons to be creative and to be independent. Their husbands also are real blessings in our extended family and they are great dads. This month is really a celebration of women – of Mary, of moms and grandmas, and of the Easter announcer, Mary Magdalene. It is all about giving us life in the first place. And it is all about sharing life with us, whether it is a cup of tea or the Good News of Jesus Christ. The amazing thing is that they are at their best when they realize that they do this because they see themselves as stewards of God’s gifts, when they see that all that they have and are is a result of the gift of God as well. So this month, let us not only honor all women, but let us thank God for their presence in our lives as manifestations of God’s own grace and love.

In thanks for women

ne of my fondest memories of my Grandma Boyea was stopping in to see her occasionally and sitting down to a cup of green tea with her. She rarely sat down, but always did for a cup of tea. Though a city girl (Lansing), she married a farmer and helped him take over his parents’ farm in 1930 in Cheboygan. She was a hard worker and as tough as nails, but she had a rule: She never went into the barn. She believed, no doubt correctly, that if she went there she would become engaged in that work, thus doing her husband’s and sons’ work. She knew they would never help her in the house!

St. John Paul II wrote this: ... the equal dignity and responsibility of women with men ... is realized in a unique manner in that reciprocal self-giving by each one to the other and by both to the children which is proper to marriage and the family. What human reason intuitively perceives and 18

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acknowledges is fully revealed by the word of God: the history of salvation, in fact, is a continuous and luminous testimony of the dignity of women. (Familiaris consortio, 22.3)

Of course, the greatest tribute to the dignity of women was given by God in taking on human flesh from the Virgin

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EVANGELIST ‘WHY SHOULDN’T I?’ Theresa’s life as her parents’ care-giver

heresa Lingl chose not to send her elderly parents to a nursing home, and has instead moved into their home to become their primary care-giver:

“The decision came natural to me. I thought, ‘Why shouldn’t I?’” When checking out other options for her parents, “I thought this would be the best fit. They would do better staying in their own home.” When looking at the situation, she sees herself honoring God to the best of her ability. “I really see this as giving back to the parent of all children, and honoring God to the best Read more about Theresa’s care-giving at www.FAITHpub.com

of my ability. And also honoring all the past generations that have been part of the formulation of our family, and hopefully (honoring) future generations too … I’m hopefully planting seeds of good things to come.” Theresa’s father attends the “Be Our Guest” adult day program offered by Livingston County Catholic Charities (livingstoncatholiccharities.org). Other Catholic Charities agencies in the diocese are: Catholic Social Services of Washtenaw County: csswashtenaw.org Catholic Charities of Jackson, Lenawee & Hillsdale Counties: www.catholiccharitiesjlhc.org Catholic Charities of Shiawassee & Genesee Counties: www.catholiccharitiesflint.org St. Vincent Catholic Charities: www.stvcc.org/STVCC Cristo Rey Community Center: www.cristo-rey.com

By Katie Susko | Photography by Tom Gennara

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“There’s a difference between liking something and loving it. I loved farming. Since I was very young, I knew I wanted to make it my life”

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“WE TRIED TO GUIDE OUR CHILDREN TO FOLLOW THEIR INTERESTS AND HONOR THE LORD’S WILL.” Brian and Agnes’ grown children have gone into a variety of professions. Dean (right), who is still in high school “seems to have an interest in farming.”

“As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

(Joshua 24:15)

Brian Koenigsknecht remembers the moment this Bible passage rang true in his heart. Sitting in his warm farmhouse, looking at the faces of his children, Brian identified with Joshua across thousands of years. Now, seated at the family dinner table, he shares his story as a third-generation farmer: “I grew up in this house. My parents moved out a couple weeks before Agnes and I got married. Growing up, watching my parents farm this land and hearing stories about my grandparents farming, I guess it got into my blood. “There’s a difference between liking something and loving it. I loved farming. Since I was very young, I knew I wanted to make it my life”, he explains. Sitting next to her husband, Agnes smiles, “I grew up on my parents’ farm, too, and my grandparents on both sides of my family were farmers. Aside from a few odd jobs, Dad gave most of the farm work to my brothers, but I used to tag along behind them whenever I could. I always loved being outside helping with chores.”

“She couldn’t drive a tractor when we first got married,” Brian grins at Agnes, “but she learned quick. She started driving the tractor and working alongside me right after we were married. In fact, she was driving the tractor out there when she was eight months pregnant for our twins!” He gestures out the kitchen window to the barn and fields beyond. “Agnes’ help was essential for our way of farming.” “I knew I wanted to marry a dairy farmer,” Agnes says simply. “I enjoyed the work and I liked the idea of having my husband always at home. We’ve been married 33 years and we’ve had lunch together every day. How many women can say that?” “So when my friend set me up on a date with her sister,” Brian smiles, “I guess Agnes took a liking to me. She was 15 at the time and I was 19, but I was looking for a farm girl and she knew what she wanted. We had our first real date on her 16th birthday and got married the year after she graduated from high school. “We run an organic dairy operation with about 100 cows. It’s seven days a week milking twice a day, but it’s manageable for a couple people to run. Vacations aren’t a big deal to us. The care of the land and lifestyle suit us just fine. “Working with my dad and brother, I did conventional farming. But I didn’t like what I saw it doing to our fields and our cows. Shortly before we got married, I decided to stop using chemicals on our farm. It took about 20 years to get everything into real shape. When the organics movement came along a few years ago, we were ready to supply that market. We had some big challenges

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along the way, but Agnes and I stuck it out together. “We decided early to pay off our debts and live on whatever the farm brought in. Money was tight during some of those early years. As the kids came along, we lived simply, but not as rough as my parents had it. My brothers and sisters grew up in this house without indoor toilets or hot water. In 1962, Dad built a new milking set-up that required hot water to wash the milking equipment. The barn had running hot water about a year before we had a water heater in the house.” Agnes interjects, “Your sisters laugh about showering in that milk house because that’s the only place they had hot water!” Brian nods. “My parents grew up in the Depression and that was a difficult time for them. When my brothers and sisters and I were growing up, we had everything we needed – food, shelter, a warm place and parents who loved us. Sure, we wore used clothes and drove old cars, but it wasn’t hard on us. Probably it was harder on our parents. My dad had a stroke at 57. I was only 7 years old, but with my older brothers and sisters, we all did our part. Dad continued to farm until I got married at 23. “No matter what hardship they faced, my parents never blamed God or questioned anything that happened to them. Faith was the focal point of our lives and there was never any question about my parents’ or grandparents’ devotion to the Church. You didn’t ever think about missing Mass!” “My parents and grandparents are Catholic, too,” Agnes explains. “Still, Brian and I kind of grew into our faith after we had kids because we understood what a big responsibility parenting is. We have to walk the talk and model the kind of people we want our children to become. “As parents, our obligation is to our children. Our job is to give them a good work ethic and get their minds in the right place. During family prayer time, everyone would gather as we went around the circle and each of us had a chance to pray for someone or mention

an area where we needed guidance. Then we went around the circle again and everyone would say something we were thankful for. We said that the kids didn’t always have to contribute to the first circle, but they always had to say something they were thankful for.” Nodding, Brian says, “And even when times were tight, there was no question they would go to Catholic school. We wanted them to have lessons in morals, ethics and faith interwoven throughout their whole day. We made it work so our kids could be involved in Church things whenever they were interested – school, youth group, religious education, Church-sponsored events. Faith and family were always more important to us than other things. “We set the bar high and when we could see what God was calling them to do, we tried to guide our children to follow their interests and honor the Lord’s will. Our grown children have gone into veterinary medicine, teaching, computer tech, accounting, nursing and vocations in the Church. Our youngest sons are still in high school, but one seems to have an interest in farming.” Two of their sons, Todd and Gary, will be ordained to the priesthood in June and another son, Lee, is in his first year at St. John Vianney Seminary in St. Paul, Minn. “Our children are gifts from God, not ours to keep,” Agnes says. “We’re very proud of them all.” Brian agrees: “You are totally dependent on God when you live on a farm. We have to do our part by planting the seed, but we cannot make it grow. We cannot make it rain. We grow up watching the plants and animals and the beauty in all of creation and we understand it doesn’t just happen. There’s something guiding our existence, and it all points to God. “Reading Joshua’s story of his ancestors and the trouble he and his family went through, I thought of how generations of my family have experienced that guidance and have chosen to serve the Lord. You can’t separate their faith from how they lived any more than you can separate God from nature or from farming. Faith is not just a part of us. It is us.”

“Our children are gifts from God, not ours to keep,” Agnes says. “We’re very proud of them all.”

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Invest in our future priests Brian and Agnes have three sons who are studying for the priesthood. Twins Todd and Gary will be ordained this June and Lee is an undergraduate at St. John Vianney Seminary in Minnesota. Here are some ways you can invest in educating our future priests. OUTRIGHT GIFTS – When you make an outright gift, your contribution can be put to work immediately. • Cash gifts – the simplest and easiest gift you can make – can be made through outright cash, a personal check or credit card. • Gifts of long-term appreciated stock provide considerable tax advantages when transferred to the Diocese of Lansing before they are sold. Gifts of stock are encouraged when the donor has a desire to make a charitable gift and avoid capital gains tax. WILLS AND BEQUESTS – Donors wishing to offer continuing support for our mission to prepare well-formed priests can leave a specific gift amount in your will, name a percentage of your estate or make the diocese a beneficiary of the remainder of your estate. Consult with your attorney or estate planning professional about detailing this in your will, restricting your gift to support seminarians.

Catholic Rural Life Catholic Rural Life (CRL) is a faith-based membership organization focused on agriculture, food and the land. As people of faith, members believe actions that affect the environment and natural resources should be a sign of respect for God’s creation. The mission of CRL is to “apply the teachings of Jesus Christ for the social, economic and spiritual development of rural America.” (www.ncrlc.com) Its programs provide spiritual, educational and advocacy initiatives for rural people to lead lives of dignity and piety. Focused on the issues of food and justice, the ethics of eating and spiritual resources, CRL uses prayer, education, organizing and advocacy to help people of all lifestyles make earth-affirming, sustainable choices. Recently, CRL partnered with Catholic Relief Services and four other organizations to begin a five-year USAID Farmer-to-Farmer program, which connects farmers in the United States with farmers in East Africa for training and technical assistance. The role of CRL will be to help identify knowledgeable American volunteers from the agriculture industry who are willing to travel to Africa to provide training. Visit www.ncrlc.com to learn more about these efforts and the organization’s magazine and online publications. Explore how you can choose practices that sustain life for all and support the CRL’s work to “renew the face of the earth.” (Ps:104:30)

STOCK GIFTS – You may wish to transfer long-term appreciated stock (held for one year or more) to the Diocese of Lansing in support of seminarians. The diocese will sell your stock and use the proceeds for seminarian formation. Please contact the Development Office for stock transfer details. LIFE INSURANCE POLICIES – If you have paid up life insurance policies you no longer need, you can name the diocese as the beneficiary of the policy. You could also name the diocese as the owner and the beneficiary of a new policy. In either case, specific language restricting the gift to benefit seminarians should be in writing. CHARITABLE GIFT ANNUITY – A gift annuity is an arrangement under which you make a contribution to support seminarians and receive, in turn, guaranteed payments for life. Your gift allows for a tax deduction and a portion of your annual annuity is tax-free. Annuity rates vary depending on your age. CHARITABLE TRUSTS – A charitable trust is an attractive way to sell a highly appreciated asset, tax free, and reinvest it to provide you with a lifetime of income. A charitable trust can be flexible, so as to allow you to make future contributions and receive additional income tax deductions. Please contact our Development Office to discuss your gift options in support of our future priests by calling Pat O’Hearn at 517.342.2503 or Lisa Weber at 517.342.2535.

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SERVING THEIR COUNTRY, SERVING GOD

Three generations of a military family

eresa Price feels that, perhaps, the best advice she’s passed on to her son, Christopher, 23, is to let go and let God take him where he is meant to be. Such advice would be relevant to a child no matter the circumstance, but, for Christopher, recently engaged and set to graduate from West Point in May, it is especially poignant. “I truly believe God has a plan for me and my purpose is to carry out that plan to the best of my ability,” says Christopher, who met his fiancée, Laura, at a church function. “I don’t think it was by chance the way we met, and the way our relationship has grown.” After their wedding, and a stint in Missouri for officer training, Christopher and Laura will embark for Alaska for his first assignment in the Army Corps of Engineers. Over the next five, 10, 20 years, they will pick up and go every time the military asks. 26

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That life can be difficult to adjust to, but it will come a little easier for Christopher, a third-generation Catholic and third-generation member of the Armed Forces. Christopher’s grandfather, Duane Price, joined the Air Force in 1949 at age 17. He attended basic training and radar maintenance school at Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi, and then was stationed in Okinawa, Japan, before entering the Vietnam War. He met and married Patricia in Alpena, and they had five children together.

Through it all, his faith anchored his life. “My Catholic religion was always important to me, and, as my career continued, I relied on my faith to help me get through some tough days,” says Duane, 81 and now a member of St. Jude Parish in DeWitt. ”I spent a year in Vietnam and you were tested, and needed to have your faith. “The whole time I was in the service, I always had faith that I was being watched after. I just never feared for my life because I believed that God was keeping his eye on me.” When Duane returned to the United States, he and Patricia turned to the churches in both Alpena and DeWitt to establish a sense of community, a lesson heeded by Michael, their fourth child. “Going back to my childhood, we belonged to smaller parishes, and my three brothers and my sister and I were always involved in some way, whether we were altar boys, lectors or eucharistic ministers (extraordinary ministers of holy Communion), and my parents were part of the parish council,” says Michael, 46, who is By Michael Spath | Photography by Tom Gennara

stationed in Kabul, Afghanistan, until July. and I know that my “EVERY DAY THAT I GO TO WORK, IT IS REAFFIRMED IN ME THAT GOD HAS CHOSEN ME FOR THIS “For me, serving God was always a part of wife’s faith is what RESPONSIBILITY.” Left: Col. Michael Price speaking to the my life and it wasn’t a large stretch to then gets her through so Army Corps of Engineers in Afghanistan. have a desire to serve our nation.” many of the hard Right:Teresa Price and her son, Christopher, at West Point. A colonel in the Army Corps of Engidays.” neers, Michael has been deployed four At night, as she lies in a bed meant for “With the frequency of our moves, times, helping to rebuild the infrastructure two, Teresa clutches her rosary and prays. you’re constantly on the go, and it feels like in both Kuwait (following the Gulf War) “If I didn’t have faith, I wouldn’t make you’re packing up just as you feel at home, and in Afghanistan (for three of the four it,” she says. “Having my faith, for me, but that tie with the Catholic Church has deployments) following the United States’ has been the only thing that has kept me been extremely important because it’s an incursion after Sept. 11, 2001. comforted and knowing things will be OK, instant community,” Teresa says. “No matter “I believe my faith and my military career especially on those days I don’t hear from where we go, no matter where Michael is work together because God has called me to Michael and don’t know that he’s safe. stationed, there is a nearby church and you serve people and in this post, I have the op- When he’s in war zones, especially, I pray make instant connections with people in portunity to enable the citizens of Afghaniwith the knowledge that he is in God’s the same circumstances. stan to live a better life,” Michael says. hands and that God will take care of him “I would say one of the very first things “If you read your we do when we arrive Bible, there are so in a new location is Archdiocese for the Military Services many parts about servseek out the Catholic ing your fellow man, church. It’s an imThe Archdiocese for the Military Services (AMS) provides spiritual and every day that I mediate comfort zone and pastoral services to Catholics who serve in the U.S. Armed Forces, go to work, it is reafbecause it’s a place we students at military academies, patients in VA medical centers and U.S. firmed in me that God always feel welcomed.” government personnel serving abroad. Created by Pope John Paul II in has chosen me for this For three generations, 1985, the AMS has installations in 29 countries and is responsible for responsibility.” the Prices have given to almost 2 million men, women and children. The current head of the arch Michael joined the the Church and to their diocese is Archbishop Timothy Broglio, who was installed as the fourth U.S. Army in 1989, country, and have felt archbishop in 2008. married Teresa, 46, rewarded. Although the AMS maintains an office in Washington, D.C., it has no in 1990, and has “I was born and territorial boundaries like a typical diocese, but rather extends its services to raised four boys, with raised Catholic, and we wherever its members serve. Although many services and sacramental rites Christopher, the oldraised our children that are performed in chapels owned by the U.S. government, it receives no est, following in his way, and I’m proud government funding. The AMS receives funding through the generosity of footsteps. Through it that Michael and now private benefactors and men and women in uniform. For more information all, Teresa has held the Christopher have come or to make a donation to the archdiocese, visit www.milarch.org. family together. to understand the value “My wife is a very of serving our country strong woman,” Miwhile maintaining a chael says. “I tell my employees and our and bring him home to us.” strong faith,” Duane says. soldiers that our spouses have the harder Beyond faith, the Church itself has been “I never told my children they had to job because they take care of the family in critical to the long exhaustive journey the serve, as I’m sure Michael didn’t tell Christoour absence. They take care of the housePrices have walked since Duane first joined pher, but I think my kids saw the way me hold, the financials, and in times of grief the military 65 years ago. At every stop, and and my wife have tried to live, and then Mithey are left behind to comfort, and that is there have been many – 11 cities alone for chael and his wife, and the things that were an impossible challenge. Michael and Teresa in 24 years of marriage important to your parents have a funny way “It can be very lonely when I’m here, – the local Church has served as a beacon. of becoming important to you.” Share this story with your friends and followers on

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scholarships at Michigan State University in exchange for their musical contributions toward worship at St. Thomas Aquinas.

April 26, 9 a.m. registration, Lansing Diocesan Catholic Women’s Spring Day, theme “Women of the Church,” St. Agnes Catholic Church in Fowlerville. Pre-registration required. Cost is $18 and includes continental breakfast and lunch. Contact Betty Jo DeForest at 517.563.2772.

May 13, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Senior Day of Reflection at St. Joseph Shrine Family Center, corner of US 12 and Egan Highway. Featured speaker is Father Tom Helfrich, OSFS. Lunch: $5. Please call 517.467.2106 to RSVP.

May 8, 6 p.m., cocktail reception, and 7 p.m., dinner and program, Lansing Catholic High School’s 30th annual Father Mac Scholarship Dinner at Michigan State University’s Kellogg Center. Tickets are $125 per person. For more information, contact Colleen Murray at 517.267.2109 or colleen. murray@lansingcatholic.org. May 8, Sustaining Pastoral Excellence: “Faithwalking: a spiritual formation process that leads to ongoing personal transformation” – at St. Francis Retreat Center, DeWitt. Registration is 9 a.m. Program 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Cost: $75, if registered by March 28, and $85 after. Register online at www.spe-stfrancis.org. May 10, 5 p.m.-7 p.m., Steak & Song at St. Thomas Aquinas School’s gym in East Lansing; includes a steak dinner and musical entertainment. Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for children, and are available at the church office, 517.351.7215, or for $15 at the door. Proceeds will provide Catholic students with

May 31, 1 p.m., Steve Ray, author, will give a presentation entitled “The Foundations of Our Faith: The Role of Scripture, Tradition and the Magisterium in the Catholic Church” at St. Francis of Assisi Parish Activity Center, 2250 E. Stadium Blvd., Ann Arbor. After the presentation, Verbum will host an optional training session for their powerful Catholic study software. Cost of training session is $30 – waived with the purchase of a Verbum library during the event. For information, contact the parish office at 734.769.2550. June 20, 10 a.m., the 26th annual Cougar Classic Golf Outing sponsored by Lansing Catholic High School will take place at Forest Akers West, Michigan State University, in East Lansing. Player fee is $135. Shotgun start. As a participant in this special event, your support directly benefits the more than 500 students at the high school. For more information, contact Colleen at 517.267.2109 or colleen.murray@ lansingcatholic.org. The Cougar Classic sells out quickly, so be sure to register early. Diocese of Lansing’s liturgies for the deaf: • 9 a.m., Mass, St. Thomas the Apostle, Ann

CATHOLIC CHARITIES Catholic Social Services of Washtenaw County, 734.971.9781 or csswashtenaw.org Many families struggle with caring for a loved one suffering from dementia and dementia-related diseases and don’t realize there are options to provide assistance. “Be Our Guest” adult day service is available to help the care-giver and provide social and stimulating activities for our “guests.” We also offer monthly Alzheimer and care-giver support groups. Open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. and currently taking new clients. Call to schedule a tour. Please contact Suzi Snyder at 517.546.9910 for more information or livingstoncatholiccharities.org. Interested in becoming a foster parent? Catholic Social Services of Washtenaw County (CSSW) offers foster care for children who have been separated from their birth families for reasons of abuse and/or neglect. Through the family-to-family approach, CSSW licenses foster families to provide a safe, loving temporary home until the child is able to be reunified with his or her birth family. Foster care orientations are held the second Thursday of each month; this month’s meeting: May 8, 5:30 p.m., 4925 Packard Rd. in Ann Arbor. For information or to RSVP, call 734.971.9781 ext. 448. There are no fees associated with becoming a licensed foster parent.

FAITH Magazine • May 2014 • www.FAITHpub.com

Arbor, the first three Sundays of every month. Contact the following parishes for information and their schedule: • Holy Redeemer, Burton, 810.743.3050 • Catholic Community of St. Jude, DeWitt, 517.669.8335 • St. John the Evangelist, Fenton, 810.629.2251 •S t. Gerard, Lansing, 517.323.2379 LANSING CATHOLIC SINGLES invite all mid-life singles to their May events: May 2, 8 p.m., singles dance at Hawk Hollow in Bath, $12 at the door; May 9, 5:30 p.m., stroll on Riverwalk from Potter Park to Lansing City Market for Happy Hour; May 17, 6:30 p.m., Starlight Dinner Theatre production of “Nunsense” in Lansing, $36/$31 (ages 62+) dinner and show, $18 show only, RSVP by May 5; May 31, 6:30 p.m., Mass at St. Gerard in Lansing and dinner at Longhorn Steakhouse. Join us June 21, 4 p.m.-9 p.m., for 4th annual statewide singles picnic at Burchfield Park North Bluff picnic shelter in Holt. Cost is $7 plus park entrance fee; bring a dish to pass and your own beverage and chair. For more information and to RSVP, call 517.321.7886 or email lansingcatholicsingles@live.com. WE C.A.R.E. Class – May 9, 6:30 p.m.9:30 p.m. and May 10, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., We C.A.R.E. class at St. Patrick Parish, 711 Rickett Rd., Brighton; cost is $75 and the registration form is available at Livingston County Catholic Charities website, livingstoncatholiccharities.org.

Join us June 9, 8 a.m., check-in/9 a.m. shotgun start, for a fun-filled day as we Chip-In Fore Children at Travis Pointe Country Club, 2829 Travis Pointe Rd., Ann Arbor. Benefits Catholic Social Services of Washtenaw County’s Washtenaw Child Advocacy Center and Father Patrick Jackson House. Cost: $135/golfer and $540 per foursome – singles welcome. Fee includes breakfast, cart, light snack, luncheon, prizes, raffle, contests and more. For information, call 734.971.9781 ext. 331, email development@csswashtnaw.org or visit csswashtenaw.org. Catholic Charities of Shiawassee and Genesee Counties, catholiccharitiesflint.org or 989.723.8239 Volunteer opportunities are available for youths throughout the summer months. To see how your family or youth group can serve those in need at Catholic Charities, call Amy Start at 810.232.9950 ext. 143. Open your heart and home to a child in need. Loving foster families are urgently needed in Shiawassee and Genesee counties. For more information, call 810.232.3418 or email givehope@ccsgc.org. May is the month of Mary and we welcome visitors and volunteers to our Shrine to Mary Queen of the Golden Heart. If you would like information on how you can become a Mary Garden volunteer, or if you would like to reserve the garden for an event, please call 810.232.9950 ext. 228.

Priest assignments

St. John Student Center hosts Chaldean Catholics More than 75 Michigan State University Chaldean Catholic students and interested guests gathered at St. John Church and Student Center for a discussion about the Chaldean Catholic rite, faith and culture. The Chaldeans are from Northern Iraq and their Church was founded by St. Thomas the Apostle. Father Anthony Strouse, parochial vicar for the center, welcomed those in attendance and introduced the speakers, Father Andrew Seba and Paul Karmo. Both are from St. Thomas Chaldean Catholic Parish in metro Detroit, which has served the community since 1992. Father Andrew spoke about the 125,000 Chaldean Catholics living in the Detroit area and their 11 churches. He said the Chaldean liturgy is similar to the Catholic Mass, but an Our Father is said at the beginning, the middle and the end. Their tradition has Lent beginning the Sunday prior to Ash Wednesday, so the season of Lent is a seven-week cycle. The Chaldeans follow Catholic tradition, but have a patriarch as their head. Patriarch Louis Sako of Babylon has been head of the Assyrian Chaldean Catholic Church since his election in February 2013. Family is an important part of the Chaldean culture. Students attending said they belong to the Chaldean American Students Association. Many of them said they are the first in their family to attend college, as it is not common for 18-year-olds to leave home. After the discussion, everyone attended Mass, which was concelebrated by Father Paul Erikson, Father Andrew, Father Anthony and Deacon Jim Kasprzak. During his homily, Father Andrew said, “In Baghdad, Christians are being martyred for their faith. The family will go to different churches in case there is a bombing, so they would not all die at once … we are the Church of martyrs.”

Chaldean American Student Association The students in the Chaldean American Student Association (CASA) at Michigan State University meet every other week to bond and talk about leaving their homes to attend college. Valerie Esho, a member of the group, said her parents arrived in the United States in the 1970s, and that they sacrificed a great deal for her brother and her to become first-generation Americans. The Chaldean Catholic religion and home life are very important to this group from Northern Iraq. Esho said they consider themselves refugees in this country. Esho added, “It is tough to be a student at MSU. We want to be home. With CASA, we can be home with others in the community. It really does help the transition.” CASA promotes many other organizations as a way to help others. They work with the Ronald McDonald House and host dinners at St. John Student Center. They also adopt refugees and participate in Relay for Life events.

Bishop Boyea announces the following pastoral appointments effective June 25, 2014 • Rev. Chas Canoy, returning from graduate studies to administrator, St. John the Evangelist Parish, Jackson. • Rev. Peter Clark, from pastor, St. Mary Parish, Williamston, to senior priest. • Rev. Louis Ekka, from administrator of St. Agnes Parish, Fowlerville to administrator of St. Mary Queen of the Angels Parish, Swartz Creek. • Rev. John Fain, from administrator to pastor, St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish, Lansing. • Rev. David Hudgins, from pastor of St. Joseph Parish, Adrian, to graduate studies in canon law at the Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. • Rev. Robert Irish, from administrator to pastor, Catholic Community of St. Jude, DeWitt. • Rev. Daniel Kogut, from part-time parochial vicar of St. Mary Queen of the Angels Parish, Swartz Creek to full time chaplain at Father Luke M. Powers High School and assistance with chaplaincy ministry at Flint Newman Center, Flint. • Rev. Timothy MacDonald, from administrator to pastor, Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Michigan Center, while retaining responsibilities as pastor, Queen of the Miraculous Medal Parish, Jackson. Also, vicar forane of Jackson Vicariate. • Rev. Robert Pienta, from parochial vicar, St. John the Evangelist Parish, Jackson, to pastor of St. Joseph Shrine, Brooklyn. • Rev. Mark Rutherford, from parochial vicar, Church of the Resurrection Parish, Lansing, to administrator of St. Mary Parish, Williamston; with permission to pursue studies for a licentiate in canon law at the Catholic University of America during summer terms. • Rev. James Shaver, from pastor, St. John the Evangelist Parish, Jackson, to senior priest, and relieved as vicar forane of Jackson Vicariate. • Rev. Nathanial Sokol, from pastor of St. Mary Queen of the Angels Parish, Swartz Creek to pastor of St. Agnes Parish, Fowlerville. • Rev. Anthony Strouse, from parochial vicar, St. Thomas Aquinas Parish and St. John Church and Student Center, East Lansing, to administrator, St. Joseph Parish, Adrian; with continuing studies in liturgy at Mundelein Seminary during summer terms. • Rev. Mathias Thelen, from administrator, St. Mary Parish, Westphalia, to graduate studies and faculty at Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit. • Rev. Eric Weber, completion of term at Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit, to pastor of St. Mary Parish, Westphalia.

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New director of catechesis The Diocese of Lansing is pleased to announce it has hired Brian Pizzalato as the new director of catechesis. Pizzalato comes from Minnesota where he previously served as the director of catechesis, Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults and lay apostolate for the Diocese of Duluth. He also worked for the Archdiocese of Minneapolis/St. Paul in the Liturgy and Faith Formation Office. Simultaneously, he served as a professor and lecturer for the Catholic Distance University, the Maryvale Institute and the Augustine Institute. Prior to his work at the diocesan level, Pizzalato served as the director of religious education, Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults and Young Adult Ministry in Memphis, Tenn. He has a bachelor of arts in theology and philosophy, a master of arts in theology and Christian ministry, and a master of arts in philosophy from Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio. Pizzalato also has a master of arts in pastoral theology from the Augustine Institute in Denver, Colo.

‘Be Our Guest’ adult day program celebrates National Pancake Day The staff of Livingston County Catholic Charities always is looking for innovative ideas for its “Be Our Guest” adult day service, a program focused on enhancing the experience of its guests. After a staff member learned of National Pancake Day, which is celebrated in March, the program hosted a day of fun with informative pancake facts, games, food, etc. The staffers served “snowman” pancakes for lunch, which consisted of pancakes, bacon, fruit and whipped cream. For more information about the program or to volunteer, contact Suzi Snyder, director of senior services, at 517.546.9910.

Eastern rite Catholic churches in the Lansing Diocese Msgr. George Michalek, judicial vicar and archivist for the Lansing Diocese, shared information about the different Eastern rites that are recognized as part of the Catholic Church. Five churches in the diocese belong to this group. They are Our Lady of Lebanon in Flint, which is Maronite rite; the Byzantine Catholic Church of St. Michael the Archangel in Flushing; St. Paul in Grand Blanc, which is Chaldean rite; St. Joseph Melkite Byzantine in Lansing; and St. Vladimir in Flint, which is Ukrainian rite. According to Msgr. Michalek, “All the rites are under the Catholic Church. There are 22 rites and the Latin rite, and all are united to the Holy See. They have different languages, different expressions.” Father Pierre Bassil, pastor of Our Lady of Lebanon, said, “We are a very unique church. We are the only church to embrace everybody. We have 200 parishioners and we have Masses in English, Arabic and Lebanese.” Father James Graham, pastor of St. Joseph Melkite Byzantine Church, added, “We have almost 100 families and most are of Lebanese or Palestinian background. Here any Catholic can receive the sacrament. We are all the same faith, just a different style of religion.”

Right to Life of Michigan’s panel discussion Right to Life of Michigan’s speaker series on Black History Month included a discussion at Eastern Michigan University titled “The Abortion Controversy Continues – A Panel Discussion.” It was co-sponsored by Catholics on Campus and Students for Life at Eastern Michigan University. Those in attendance discussed the disproportionate number of abortions performed on black women every year in the United States. They also had the opportunity to hear from Suzanne Abdalla, director of the Catholic Urban Project, about her experience working with abortion-minded women when she was director of a crisis pregnancy center. To learn more about Right to Life of Michigan and its upcoming events, visit www.rtl.org.

Siena Heights – immigration reform lecture The Adrian Dominican Crossroads Mission Chapter at Siena Heights University sponsored a lecture on immigration reform titled “The Journey for Justice Continues.” It featured Sister Simone Campbell, SSS. Sister Simone is the executive director and national coordinator of NETWORK, a Catholic social justice lobby based in Washington, D.C. Sister Simone says there are 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States. Most have been here more than 10 years. According to Sister Barbara Kelly, OP, an Adrian Dominican communication specialist, “There are about 1 million applications a year for people to enter the United States to become citizens. Even though they are legitimate applications, only about 400,000 are allowed to become citizens.” The Francoeur Theatre at the college was filled with students, religious sisters and parishioners from the local churches in Adrian. Members of the audience inquired what they could do to lobby for more people to be allowed entry into the United States. People were encouraged to contact their members of Congress to help social justice prevail.

In the recent DSA issue of FAITH Magazine, the story on the Retrouvaille program in the Diocese of Lansing may have inadvertently implied that Retrouvaille receives DSA funding, which it does not. Retrouvaille helps people of all faiths who are in troubled marriages, and it depends completely on donations for its programs. St. Francis Retreat Center, the location for Retrouvaille retreat experiences and many other programs that address various spiritual needs, does receive DSA support. If you wish more information about Retrouvaille, or would like to make a donation, please visit http://retrouvailleoflansing.catholicweb.com/. For the St. Francis Retreat Center, please visit www.stfrancis.ws. 30

FAITH Magazine • May 2014 • www.FAITHpub.com

How to honor a difficult father and mother

he first point I want to make is that this commandment is not absolute; it does not apply equally in all circumstances. Why? Because there are situations wherein parents can act dishonorably. We can be estranged from our parents or have a close relationship with them. Either way, they are our fathers and mothers, in good times and in bad.

T. Gennara

isn’t that true with us also? How tolerant are you of their So what can be said? mistakes? After all, parenting is not easy. One thing that applies always and everywhere is to honor Still, some parents engage in behaviors that should not them by praying for them. God, and God alone, is the judge be tolerated. In such instances, we need to ask of their innermost motives and abilities – as for help from other members of our families – well as their gifts and talents. If your parents are grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters. wonderful, thank God for gifting you with them. Again, we must remember that prayer isn’t simply If they are not so wonderful, ask God to guide a nice thing to do, it’s a necessity. Whatever we you in how you relate to them. God knows what think, say or do must be done in the love of God. they need far more than we do. Praying for them Finally, we can seek the help of Mary, Jesus’ puts them in God’s hands. Could we honor them last word mother, and St. Joseph, as well. Ask them to join more than that? with you in lifting your mother and your father Prayer also helps us. I cannot be angry and Father Charles Irvin is the up before the face of God in your prayers. This upset with someone and praying for them at the founding editor is the best way I know to honor your father and same time. Praying for our parents allows the of FAITH Magazine and is your mother, and it is equally important in wonhealing love of God to enter into our own hearts retired derful families and distressed families. and souls. Asking God to give our parents what Honor your Heavenly Father by turning to him they most need affects how we feel and how we and allowing him to give you the love and care with which treat our parents. It benefits them as well as us. he gave you life in the first place. And do the same for Mary, Then, too, we must remember that our parents are not the Holy Mother of God, and your own mother. Allow Mary perfect. Nor were they trained in how to rear their children. to guide you as only a mother can. They had to learn by doing, and they made mistakes. But

Adrian Dominicans host ‘Come and See’ Amanda, who attended the “Come and See” weekend with the Dominican Sisters in Adrian, asked, “How do you know what God wants you to do?” Many people ask that question, but never actively discern whether God is leading them to the religious life. The sisters in Adrian offer that opportunity three times a year to women seeking to discover whether religious life is for them. Sister Dusty Farnan, OP, shared, “We have 770 women in our order. Our commitments are to prayer, community, study, ministry and preaching. How do we as a community keep the vitality of our mission? We do it through prayer and study.” For more information on vocations, contact Sister Carleen Maly, OP, at 517.266.5347 or vocations@adriandominicans.org. – Jan Hoffbauer

Sacred Heart’s evening of music Sacred Heart Church in Hudson recently hosted an “Evening of Music.” Douglas Spangler, the liturgical minister for the schoolchildren and a music composer, played the piano for the children’s portion of the concert. A featured song was Come, Christians, Join to Sing, for which Spangler had written an extra verse. Spangler works with the Sacred Heart choristers and plays the piano for the weekly Mass. He said, “Each week for the closing hymn we have a fun children’s song. My goal is to work with the kids so they will sing whether in the pews or in the choir.” In addition to the children’s performance, Nancy Herr played the piano and Angie Monahan played the flute for several songs, including Adagio. Herr played while the cantors sang, O God, You Search Me. Bill Koshelnyk sang I Believe and Jennifer Ball ended the performance with Let There be Peace on Earth.

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