P.S. The Knights are willing to remove any splinters at no cost (as long as you were not sitting on the table!?!) 

Only Good Will Come From This
Are you aware that we celebrate Exposition here at the parish? In fact we are going to be celebrating even more. Presently we Expose the Lord in the Chapel after the 9:30am Mass every Wednesday until 6:45am Thursday morning. Every First Friday of the Month we Expose the Lord after the 9:30am Mass Friday morning until 8:00am Sunday morning. In addition we will now Expose the Lord after the 9:30am Mass on Monday morning until 8:00pm Monday night.

Countless religious, including many saints and popes over the centuries, have extolled the great spiritual blessings and benefits we can derive from Eucharistic adoration. Pope John Paul II calling it “a great treasure of the Catholic faith” noted that “it nourishes social love” and encouraged all Christians to visit Jesus regularly in the Blessed Sacrament as “we are all called to abide in the presence of God.”

Speaking of being called, what is so important for us to realize is that Christ calls us, each one of us, to visit Him in Eucharistic adoration much as He called His apostles! Our Lord said on the cross “I thirst” and, indeed, He thirsts for us! Jesus is waiting for us in tabernacles all over the world. 

Four of our adorers who sign up regularly for an hour spot are dealing with surgeries and other medical challenges. They are no longer able to fill their hour and we are not allowed to expose the Eucharist if no one is present, therefore we need your help.  Think about how precious and intimate it is when the Chapel is reserved for you and Jesus alone. We need your help to fill in a few of the now vacant spots: weekly on Thursdays from 2—3am, once a month on Saturday from 8—9pm, and we need helpers for benediction on Mondays at 8pm and Thursdays at 6:45am.  Please call the parish office and let us know if you can assist.

God bless,
Fr. J.J.

Open Wide and Say Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha
We have the first ever big comedy night happening this month here in the parish. Haywood Banks will join us. He has been featured in “Rolling Stone Magazine” and “People Magazine.” He won First Place in the Johnnie Walker Comedy Search  Contest and has appeared on A&E’s “Evening at the Improv,” MTV’s “1/2 Hour Comedy Hour,” CNN’s “Hollywood Minute,” “Caroline’s Comedy Hour,” “Entertainment Tonight,” “Showtime Comedy Club Network,” “Dr. Demento Show,” “12th Annual HBO Young Comedians Special with Paul Rodriguez” and is a frequent guest on the national Bob and Tom   radio show. 

You can buy tickets for Friday the 20th and Saturday the 21st. Wait, CORRECTION: You can buy tickets for Friday the 20th only because the Saturday show is already sold out. Get ‘em quick. So anyway, a rabbi and a priest walk into a bar . . . 

The Kids Are Callin”
Our teen program has been growing and getter stronger. That is a good thing, but our CORE Team is stretched pretty thin. Therefore we need people to help with all the stuff we are doing with the teens. If you are an adult who likes trips, service projects, Confirmation Retreats, helping with prep behind the scenes, and a heck of a good time; then this is for you. 

Hey, don’t forget about our younger ones either. We are still in need of subs for the classes held on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights. What is holding you back? It’s only subbing. That means you may get a call every once in a while to help out one of our regular catechists. But there is a stipulation. You must be Catholic, either male or female, and have the ability to call the Religious Ed Office to qualify.

Bottles, Bottles Everywhere and Not a Drop to Drink
And that is a good thing, because we need them to be empty. We want your returnable’s to support the 6^th, 7^th & 8^th grade project to support “Believe in Miracles.” 

This organization was founded in 2005 by two of our parishioners, Brett Kast and J.D. Sterba. The inspiration came from Brett’s youngest sister Jenna, a beautiful, fun loving and awesome kid. She loved to dance, sing and play soccer and softball. Jenna was only 3½ years old when she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. She fought courageously for 8 years enduring eight brain surgeries, three 6-week rounds of radiation and three clinical trials consisting of different chemotherapy treatments. All the while Jenna never lost her enthusiasm for life. She would continually say, “I know God has a plan for me.” On July 4th, 2010, God called Jenna home.

The mission of Believe in Miracles is to enrich the lives of Michigan children suffering from life-threatening medical conditions by buying gifts and bringing joy and hope to their lives, and was created to let these children and their families know that they are not alone in their battles, that we are praying for them and fighting for them. Take all those holiday party empties and drop them off in the Narthex next weekend.

Yo, Mama!

• The new “Moms and Tots” group will begin meeting on January 23rd in Meeting Room B! Call Kim Houseman to register. It should be fun – come join them.
• On Saturday, January 28^th, I will be celebrating a Mass for Moms at 8:00 a.m.
• Fr. Eric will be presenting to moms at Faith @ Work on Wednesday, February 15^th at 6:30 p.m. Please call Kim Houseman to sign up for this dinner/presentation on Lent.

So if you are a mom and interested in any of these and would like any more info, please give Kim, our Christian Service Coordinator, a ring.

God bless,
Fr. J.J.

Christmas card messages say something about the sender. What one decides to write in a Christmas card can bring cheer to friends and family. It shows that you appreciate them and it keeps you in touch through the holidays.

When I read this year’s batch, I was reminded that not only do I remember that Jesus is the reason, but you believe that too.  I invite you to read some of these Christmas card messages.  Ask the same question I did: “God, what might you be trying to express to me as I carried around a lot of raw emotion?”

• Christmas is the most important birthday anyone will celebrate throughout the year.  There is a reason it’s the biggest and most anticipated birthday year after year.
• Death and evil are no match for love, which is proven by the Christmas story.
• The Christ child of a virgin mother has been born.  Spread the good news.
• The Lord sent his only son so that anyone who believes in Him will not have to die but can live forever.
• He is the reason for every season and celebration, because without Him there is no hope.  Merry Christmas.
• Christmas marks the beginning of the hope of salvation.  Our savior is born.
• Jesus is the brightest Christmas light.  Jesus is the only light that will never burn out or be unplugged.
• Christmas is the best example of great things coming in small packages. The best gift the world has ever been given came in the form of a little baby.
• Christmas is the ultimate beginning of a ‘good guy’ versus ‘bad guy’ story.
• Christmas begins the story and Easter finishes is.
• There is no greater love than the love that God showed us all when he gave His only son.

When you answer, I believe His response and yours guarantees continuity and hope. May you respond, and may you experience in profound ways, the joy that He brings. On behalf of myself, Fr. Eric, Fr. Varghese, and the entire St. Anastasia Staff: Merry Christmas!

 God bless!
Fr. J.J.

Last Chance
Just a reminder to all who did not come to our Parish Reconciliation Service last week, you do have two more opportunities to go to confession before the big birthday celebration next weekend. There are two vicariate services this week:  Monday at Shrine of the Little Flower and Tuesday at St. Hugo’s Parish. Both begin at 7 p.m. 

Christmas Savings
This has been a challenging year financially for most of us. This includes the parish as well. With Christmas falling on a Sunday, we lose an extra collection to help balance our budget. Just a reminder that every week we get taxed 7% on each collection EXCEPT FOR CHRISTMAS!!! We get to keep all of the Christmas collection to use to pay bills, subsidize the Religious Education program, pay salaries, etc. I ask you to please try to be extra generous in your Christmas envelope so that we can get back on track budget wise. Thank you!

Who Promised Christmas Would Be Merry?
 As most of you are aware, my Dad died recently. Because of this, I am ever more sensitive to the fact that many people find that Christmas can be the loneliest time of our lives. Like me, some are grieving. Some find Christmas to be a reminder of younger, more innocent times. Some find the burdens and struggles of life; the changes in our world, war, and the economy have robbed Christmas of something that was there before. Some are without family or friends, and because of illness, are unable to get out. Christmas will be just another day. For some, Christmas inevitably means family conflicts. For some, Christmas challenges bring terrible financial burdens that simply push us further and further behind.

Have I depressed you yet? I want to remind you that for all of us, the story behind these days can draw us in, and invite us to bring our lives to the mystery of how Jesus came into this world and why. Our best preparation for the Holy Night ahead and the Joyful Season to follow is for us to reflect upon how He came. He came in the midst of scandal and conflict. He came in poverty. He was rejected before He was born. He was born in a feeding trough. He was hunted down. And He grew up in obscurity. Jesus did not shun our world and its poverty and conflict. He embraced it. And He desires to embrace us today, in this day. Right where we are. Right where we are feeling most distant. Right where we are feeling least “religious” or “ready.” So, in this next week, take time to let Him come into your hearts. Jesus can be our Savior in these challenging days. Let’s find ourselves entering the sacred night and morning of Christmas “joyful and triumphant” as never before.

God bless,
Fr. J.J.

However, we need your help. We have ten fewer ministers this year than we did last year. I want to invite you to share your gifts and join up as a Sunday morning hospital minister. We provide training and support! Join with your spouse or kids. Believe me, it will deepen your faith and make what we do during the Eucharistic liturgy, even more fulfilling.

Give, Give, Give
We are so blessed and in this season, we have many wonderful opportunities to share our blessings here at St. A’s. What about the Gift of Warmth? We invite you during the season of Advent to donate blankets, socks, hats, gloves, and even monetary donations so that we can donate them to area shelters in Detroit and Pontiac. Last year, we had our lowest number of donations on record. Simply place them in the boxes in the narthex. Put a can in the center of your dinner table and have the whole family contribute money. It’s never too early train our little ones to be generous.

What about Adopting a Family in need? What a rewarding experience it is to positively impact an entire family. Call Carolyn at 586-323-0302 and you will be given the names, ages, sizes and needs of the family. You would be asked to provide an article of clothing for each person, a toy for the children, and food for Christmas dinner.

What about simply pulling off a few tags from the St. Anastasia Giving Tree? You might simply want to donate a monetary gift to this cause. We have five organizations to collect for and unfortunately someone helped themselves to some of the gifts left under the tree last weekend. Therefore, we are going to have to make up for the loss. 

Remember, God is never outdone in generosity!

God bless,
 Fr. J.J.

We also try to help folks physically through our food pantry, athletic teams, and senior fitness. This weekend you can positively benefit physically by joining in on our St. Anastasia Health Fair. Our amazing Parish Nurse team has put together wonderful opportunities for you to  do glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol screenings, body mass index tests, flu shots, and even nutritional  assessments with a dietitian.

We need to be good stewards of our gifts. Our health is one of those gifts. Come and join us in the Social Hall today (Sunday) between 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. FYI—it might be smart to grab any donuts you want to scarf down before you talk to the dietitian!

It’s a Mass Thanksgiving 
My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. I love all the stuff that happens around its events. Just a little reminder that in this week we have opportunities to get together with family, go to parades, watch football, eat till our hearts content, and, if you are crazy enough, go shopping on Friday. I want to remind you that you can truly give thanks to the one who is the giver of all gifts and attend the Eucharist (which literally means “thanksgiving”). We have a Thanksgiving Family Mass on Tuesday night which  begins with a Praise and Worship Service at 6pm, followed by Mass at 7pm. You are welcome to bring a non-perishable food item to the liturgy. Donations will be   delivered to St. Clements Food Pantry who serves 2800 families a year. On Thanksgiving morning, we celebrate Mass at 9:30am.

Revised Roman Missal
Cardinal Bertone, the Vatican Secretary of State, wrote a letter entitled The Liturgy, Inexhaustible Source of Catechesis. He states: ‘The liturgy manifests its being “God with us,” since “being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a  decisive direction” (Pope Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est, 1). In this connection, God is the great educator of his people, the loving, wise, tireless guide in and through the liturgy, the action of God in the today of the Church.’ 

This is the last weekend that we will celebrate the liturgy in the way that we have become accustomed to.  Next weekend we will begin using the third edition of The Roman Missal. We have published educational articles, have had evenings where we went over the changes, and we have provided many materials to help prepare you for the changes. Next week we will provide pew cards to help you follow and participate.

If you have not educated yourself as well as you would like, I invite you to go to the Archdiocese website (AODonline.org) and do some “pre-work” so that you can better prepare. Information can also be found on our website under Worship/New Roman Missal. Our job is to utilize the gift of the liturgy and understand it as best we can so that we can do as the Pope says and allow the Eucharist to give our life “a new horizon and a decisive direction.”

God bless,
 Fr. J.J.

We pray easier when we comprehend the words. We pray easier when we become  familiar with the words we pray at Mass. I believe that the revised texts come as an opportunity for liturgical catechesis on the Mass. If we use this time well, we as a congregation will not only be well informed about the revised texts, but also about the depth of our prayers.

I invite you to come to the Church this Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. We will be walking through the Mass and discussing all of the revised texts. I believe that when we do this, we will gain an appreciation for what happens during the entire liturgy, but our faith will be even more informed. See you there.

Dream Big for God
Last weekend we celebrated “Commitment Weekend” in our Changing Lives Together initiative. We had the opportunity to celebrate together in the Social Hall and share what we wanted for the future of our parish, i.e. Dream Big. I was excited to read some of the great ideas you had. I was also excited about your enthusiasm about what we have been doing and where we will go. I was also surprised by some of the confusion that some folks had about the whole initiative itself and how the monies would be used. I am doing my best at contacting all of you who wrote a note or an email. 

The AOD is more transparent than it has ever been. The Archbishop has added layers of financial scrutiny so that we will never get into the financial situation we are in now. It might be helpful if you visited the Archdiocesan website and visit the “Changing Lives Together” section and the “Sharing the Light” section for clearer information on the Loan Deposit program and the John Paul II Center. There is an excellent Q & A regarding the sale of the John Paul II Center (including dollar amounts and specifics). To those who fill out the CLT initiative cards and supply an email address, the Archbishop will send updates on how the money is being utilized. Also, specific information on how the money is collected and used is on the flyers that we have mailed to your home and appeared in the bulletin for the last few months.  

FYI, the use of electronic giving came about after much discussion and    research. It meets both the needs of the church and the donor. The church can plan better when it knows how much money is coming in, much the same as our household budgets. We know what our monthly income is and can budget accordingly. At the donor’s request, many of our parishioners pay their bills electronically and wanted to include their Sunday offering out of convenience. 

Please keep all this in prayer and continue to Dream Big for God. He’ll make it happen.

God bless,
 Fr. J.J.

Pope Benny Wants Visitors
On Tuesday night immediately following the Mass, we will have a  presenter come share with us about our parish trip to Italy. Come join us and hear about what we will do in Assisi (get to see St. Francis, I mean it!). I know I look a lot like Michelangelo’s statue, but you could actually see the real David in Florence. Don’t forget Rome, St. Peter’s and all the other amazing treasures that the Vatican holds. Please join us for this info opportunity and find out if the Lord is calling you to join us on this pilgrimage.

Dream Big
In the last few weeks we have been learning, talking, and hopefully praying about Changing Lives Together, the initiative the AOD and St. Anastasia is undertaking. This important effort will allow our parish and archdiocese to expand and strengthen the life and ministry that our Lord calls us to. It will allow St. A’s to address the critical and important issues of our parish and help better move us into the mission Jesus calls us to. It will give us focus for years to come. But, you need to be a part of it. DREAM BIG. We want you to give your perspective and input in order to mold what our future will look like. Please join us in the Social Hall, have a little cotton candy, get a little specialty coffee, and above all let us know what you want us to do with our future.

God bless,
Fr. J.J.

We have about a million dollars outstanding on our loan from the Archdiocese. Parishes with a loan apply 75% of the money we   receive from Changing Lives Together to apply to our loan balance. We have been making quarterly payments on the principal and interest of our loan of $41,000 ($164,000 annually). This comes directly out of our operating budget. Given that the Changing Lives Together pledge period is three years, given that we do well in reaching our target, and given that we continue to make the quarterly loan payments, we will be debt free by mid-year 2014. Imagine having all that extra income to apply to our ministries, outreach, and to making our worship space more comfortable and efficient. Please keep praying and working toward our mission. St. A’s will simply grow stronger and stronger in our mission to serve the Lord.

Is it me, or does Deacon Ron look different? 
First, it is not you, and second, that isn’t  Deacon Ron. If you missed the blurb in last week’s bulletin, newly ordained Deacon Don Baross has been assigned to serve with us here at St. Anastasia. We now have Deacon Ron and Deacon Don. Sure it will be confusing, but it will be great having him serve with us.  I have known him for four years, and we are greatly blessed. The Second Vatican Council teaches that deacons, strengthened by sacramental grace, serve the people of God in the diaconia of liturgy, word and charity, in communion with the Bishop and his presbyterate (Lumen Gentium, no. 29). That same Council also provided for the restoration of the Permanent Diaconate as an expression of the needs and desires of Christian communities, as a driving force of the Church’s service toward the local Christian communities, and as a sign or sacrament of Christ the Lord Himself, who “came not to be served, but to serve.”  We are very blessed, since, with God’s help, both  Deacon Don and Deacon Ron will continue to faithfully exercise this important ministry for us here.

With Changing Lives Together, and the Convocation falling in all at once, we have not had an official party to welcome Deacon Don, YET. We will, but until then, please make him feel at home and give him a gracious St. A’s welcome.

We Need Your Help 
“When I was grieving, you comforted me.” Those famous words of our Lord should all ring in our ears. We have a ministry to help folks who are experiencing a loss, by providing food on the day of the funeral. Are you someone who likes to organize gatherings? Then this may be the ministry for you. We are currently very short of Team Members.

What is a Team Member, you ask? They are on call for a month at a time. Each person on the team takes a turn being the “Captain” by taking care of the organizing and shopping for the meat and other items needed for the meal. Others help by calling for food dishes, and your team will be there on the day of the funeral to help set up, serve and clean up.

As someone who recently lost my Dad, it would have been great to have a team like that to help my family. Please, help your fellow parishioners. Contact our Christian Service Coordinator, Kim Houseman at (248) 689-8380, Ext. 112.

God bless,
Fr. J.J.

We have a vision with this initiative. Because this is so massive and involves all of us, it will have a significant impact on St. Anastasia for years to come. For the next several weeks we will be journeying through a season of prayer and reflection. God has called all of us – priests, deacons, leaders, staff, families, adults, and children – to a time of prayer and seeking. It is important that each and every one of us pray: “Lord, what do You want to do, through me, to accomplish Your will, for St. Anastasia and the Church of Detroit?” God has a part for each of us to play. The more each and every parishioner/disciple responds, the more    successful this whole initiative will be.

I would like to reflect on St. Anastasia Parish’s vision, goal, and projects. We believe that our God holds our future in His loving hands and that He has some great hopes, dreams, and plans for us. He has called us to life and is constantly showering us with blessings. We have been given loving relationships, all kinds of special talents unique to us, gifts that come our way, and so much more. These are signs of God’s love for us. Even more, we have been given His Son. As sons and daughters we are loved now and forever and we have the exact same gospel mission as Jesus: to share justice, love, fulfillment, healing, and salvation with the waiting world.

That is what we are about here at St. Anastasia. We Dream Big! That is what our goals are about. Through examining our parish’s needs, strengths, and challenges; after   consultation with parish commissions, and staff, we have discerned some priorities:

• Pay off our million dollar debt early.
• Invite inactive folks back and grow our  parish family.
• Make our worship space and narthex more comfortable and efficient.
• Expand our ministries and outreach by addressing needs that have been neglected.

Changing Lives Together will help us do these things in an effective, compelling and convincing way. It will help us step it up a bit and take our community life and work to the next level. When we pay off our debt early, that means we will have $160,000 extra each year (that won’t need to go towards our debt). It will allow us to do the “stuff” we want. I want you to Dream Big. What do YOU want St. Anastasia to do with this extra cash each year? Dream Big. What do YOU think we should do with  all of those formerly inactive folks who have returned? Dream Big. How do YOU want us to improve our worship and narthex space?  Cushions for the pews? Dream Big. How do YOU want to expand our ministries and outreach? Dream Big.

God has a vision and goal for our parish and the Church of Detroit. Let us pray and ask each and every day: “Lord, what do you want to do – through me – to accomplish Your will for my parish and the AOD?” It is our prayer and  talents and gifts, each and every one of us together, that will turn God’s dream into reality. DREAM BIG. It is the only way it works.  Amen!

CONVOCATION
Fr. Eric and I will be traveling up North, along with the majority of the presbyterate from the AOD this week for our bi-annual convocation. We share prayer, fraternity, and will be sharing in presentations (for our education). We have topics like the new Roman Missal, satisfaction and fulfillment in the priesthood, and stress and wellness in the priesthood. It is also an opportunity for the Archbishop to address all of us at once. Please pray that we have a safe     journey, and an enriching and relaxing time.

God bless,
Fr. J.J.