Join Fr Christian in a Bible Study of the Gospel of Matthew’s Chapter 5-7: Sermon On the Mount!

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus calls His followers to live in a way that fosters justice, peace, harmony, and holiness among all people. Matthew 5-7: How to Be Happy helps us apply Christ’s teachings to our daily lives and discover true joy in our walk of faith.

Staring Monday, July 13th at 6:30 p.m.

Six (6) sessions total: 7/13 – 8/17

In the St. Robert’s Fr. Jacob’s Library

COMPLETELY FREE!

Come grow deeper in faith and discover the lasting happiness found in Christ’s teachings.

All are welcome!

To RSVP, contact the St. Robert’s parish office at: 810-659-2501

The Knights of Columbus Men’s Cor Group is presenting “Theology on Tap” on Wednesday, June 10 at 6:30 p.m. in the Knights of Columbus Hall. All men and women of the parish are invited to attend. There will be six sessions meeting on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month. Hope to see you there!

I am not entirely sure when this became true for me in my life, but I absolutely love the mystery of our Lord’s Ascension — both because of what this mystery signifies and because of the reality God communicates to us through Jesus’ bodily Ascension to the right hand of the Father.

If we have any understanding of God’s holiness and our own sinfulness, then we can begin to recognize that this moment should not be happening. How in the world could our human nature stand in the midst of God’s presence? Not only in God’s presence, but seated at His right hand — such a prominent seat, given to one who executes the King’s commands for His Kingdom. A seat of such prominence that it is above all nine choirs of angels. This position is given to Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, who shares in our humanity.

Who are we to deserve something so powerful and amazing as this? The truth is that we have done absolutely nothing to deserve it, nor will we ever do anything that could amount to deserving such a great honor as God has in store for us. He freely offers it to us through His Son, Jesus.

Our human nature — which has turned its back on God since the beginning, which is always inclined toward lower and earthly goods instead of the true spiritual good, which has always been subjected to decay, destruction, and death — now sits glorified next to the Heavenly Father above all creation. If we truly understood this mystery, we would never want anything else except this: to always be with the One who has gifted us with immortality.

Another reason why the Ascension is one of my favorite mysteries is because, at this moment, our Lord commissioned His Apostles to proclaim the Good News, the Gospel. Our Lord instructed His eleven Apostles to go forth, make disciples of all nations, and teach them to observe everything He commanded.

The work of evangelization is essential to our lives as Christians. If we only come to Mass and pray but do not partake in evangelization, we are essentially living only half of the faith. All the graces we receive at Mass, in prayer, and in the other sacraments are given so that we may continue Christ’s saving mission.

Our faith is not our own. What we receive from God is not meant only for our personal well-being and sanctification. God expects each of us to utilize what He does within us so that all humanity might come to understand who He is and how He loves them.

The command given by the priest or deacon at the end of Mass is the clearest example of Holy Mother Church sending Her children out into the world: “Go in peace,” “Go forth, the Mass is ended,” “Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord,” or “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.” These dismissals demonstrate how we are sent into the world to proclaim what God has done for us and what He invites us to share in.

The mystery of the Ascension calls to mind how God has restored our human nature in Jesus Christ and elevated it to the most prominent seat in the universe. This is the work of God. This is the reality in which we are invited to partake. The more we come to understand these mysteries of our faith, the more we understand why God sends us, His Mystical Body, to carry out His mission.

Happy Eleventh Sunday! It officially feels like summer around here. School is out, religious ed has concluded, Sunday vestments have finally returned to the familiar green, and Michigan weather is no longer confused about its thermostat setting — praise the Lord! Grad parties are also in full swing. It’s like a perpetual free date night with all the neighbors (haha!).

The weeks ahead for me will hopefully be a good time to slow down and work through the laundry list of projects that accrue each fall-winter-spring cycle. There’s a large part of me that loves to putz around and methodically do those deep-clean, deep-reorganization types of tasks. The problem is there’s seldom a good chunk of available time for them, and seldom enough energy and motivation to match. But now’s the time for me, I think!

Life is a big garden in a perpetual state of laundry list project management. Things always need weeding. Some plants are out there dying. Others are spreading like uncontained wildfire. We put our hands into the dirt, work under the heat of the sun, and simultaneously hope for the periodic rain which we have no control over. It’s the same image Jesus uses in today’s Gospel. Our own gardens can feel unwieldy; just imagine how Jesus must feel. He’s the master of every garden in the vineyard of the earth. What a monumental project list.

When Jesus says, “the harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few,” I feel like he’s putting it mildly, out of concern for not scaring away the laborers. Parents instinctively do this for their children. They shield the full picture and take the bulk of the load in order to get their kids further along in life than children can manage themselves. Same here — the twelve apostles don’t have more than the slightest view of what’s in front of them! Jesus calls them into the vineyard but wisely knows how to lead them in a way their hearts and minds can manage.

Keep in mind that Jesus does the same with you and me. He sees the whole project list of our lives but shields the full picture from us out of care and concern. He takes the bulk of the load but calls us nonetheless to work in the dirt under the heat of the sun, praying for the life-giving rain we have no control over. We’re always seeing weeds, wondering why some things are dying, and why other things are spreading invasively. At the same time, some beds of flowers are blooming nicely, and the shade trees are lifesavers. It’s a beautiful mess; it’s a lot to care for. Your consolation and mine is that we get to rub elbows with the Master Gardener who’s always working the clods of dirt right next to us. Imagine how life would be without Him there.

Fr. Brian

There will be a Euchre Tournament on Wednesday, June 17 in the Good Shepherd Knights of Columbus Hall at 6:30 pm. Cost is $5.00 per person. All levels of experience. Bring your own snacks and beverages. Pizza is available for purchase. Friends and Family welcome! 

Hope to see you there!!

*They will be held the first and third Wednesday of the month.