CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN? A very active woman in our parish wrote me a note and asked me to address a certain issue: appropriate dress at Mass. This is often a sensitive issue, but one that is a global concern. The Archbishop of Manila in the Philippines was so upset about people’s attire at Mass, that he issued guidelines for his archdiocese on what folks are to wear. A little strong, maybe, but a good reminder here and there can never hurt. But, never forget our slogan, “Always Loved, Always Welcome”.  So come to Mass! The number one thing to celebrate is that we have this opportunity. Some people may attend certain Masses — say the 5:00 p.m. Mass — on their way home from their construction jobs, for example and not have time to change. Fine! Never let circumstances out of your control make you feel embarrassed or keep you away from the Sacraments! The pendulum swings back and forth though: remember the brouhaha over the girls volleyball team who met the President at the White House and they were all dressed in flip flops? Well, we come to Mass, not to meet the President, but to meet the Lord. We should always wear clothes that are modest, and, if possible, all things being equal, clean and the nice. It’s certainly not a matter of showing off one’s finery — lots of people don’t even have fine clothes. The real fact is that it is a matter of showing respect to God and to others. If you were on your way to a wedding, a date, heck even a graduation party, you most likely would dress pretty well. We do feel differently when we dress differently and remember whom we greet.  

NEITHER RAIN NOR SLEET NOR SNOW . . .  Speaking of folks writing letters, you may not be aware, but as pastor I receive a boat load of mail every day. Because of this, my office often looks like a hurricane hit it. I do my best to keep up with it, but regardless, it is not uncommon for me to open an invitation even weeks or months after the event took place. I try to correspond back to every letter; it just sometimes takes a while. Many folks will write with a concern about something in the parish, i.e. something they are upset about. These often go to the top of my pile so I can address them. Why I write this, is that Fr. Mark recently showed me a letter with no name connected to it. I instructed him to not read it, but throw it away. Why? If the person does not have enough integrity to give their name, it does not deserve our time. These squeaky wheels do not deserve any oil in my opinion. I guess the anonymous letter has been around for quite some time!  In the “Youth’s Educator for Home and Society” book, published in 1896 there is a chapter on “Letter Writing”. In this section it gives a few hints and said: “Never write an anonymous letter. It is cowardly; the recipient of such a letter should quietly burn it. The man or woman who dares not sign his or her name is unworthy of notice.”

As Christians, we are encouraged to resolve our differences with other believers. But setting forth our differences in anonymous letters only insures that they will not be resolved. There are two main ways to resolve our differences: one is to let our differences go (Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace, Eph. 4:2-3).  A second way to biblically resolve an issue would be to lovingly discuss things, face to face, being “…quick to listen and slow to speak” (James 1:19). That way, both sides can fairly represent their point of view and real understanding can be gained. Anonymous rebukes guarantee that neither of these courses are taken. The writers of anonymous letters already know that these are a bad way to deal with problems. That’s why they’re embarrassed to sign them. The very fact that the letter is sent unsigned is the writer’s acknowledgement that its delivery and they lack integrity. This is not a quality of a disciple of Jesus (Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable, Rom. 12:17). This is a good issue to raise because it speaks not only to writers of anonymous letters, but to any of us who have treated a brother or sister badly: those we’ve snubbed or spurned or neglected or abused or treated unfairly.  

If you wrote the letter I’m talking about (I am not sure what it is about, since I did not read it), your stomach is probably churning as you absorb these comments. But don’t worry, there is a way to settle your indigestion. It’s not easy, but it’s right. The right thing to do is sometimes the hard thing to do, but it’s always the best thing to do.

God bless,
Fr. J.J.

God bless,
Fr. J.J.

P.S. This is not only an honor for St. Anastasia, but for the Archdiocese as well.  So look for a special feature that will be in the Michigan Catholic. 

Greetings! We have some exciting news from the music ministry department here at St. Anastasia. Our Director of Music, Dr. Christine Chun, has recently been informed that she was selected to participate in the 13^th International César Franck Organ Competition, at the Roman Catholic Cathedral and Basilica of St. Bavo in Haarlem, The Netherlands.  A maximum of ten candidates from around the world have been selected, based on an anonymous screening by a professional European jury of the candidates’ recordings of the selected compulsory piece, César Franck’s “Piece Heroïque.”  Particularly exciting is that the winner of this competition will be awarded a solo recital at Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres, in Chartres, France.  Organ works of Catholic French composers César Franck and Olivier Messiaen will be the main musical focus of the competition, and there will be three rounds of competition.  As an American organist, Dr. Chun will be representing the US, the Archdiocese of Detroit, and St. Anastasia, as she hopes to travel to the Netherlands to compete in the 1^st round, in late September 2010.  More updates to come later…

LOOK WHAT YOU JUST STEPPED IN! – FYI, we are resurfacing the parking lot on the holiday so that we will disrupt the parish activities as little as possible. I appreciate your patience with not being able to use the chapel or attend Mass. This is yearly maintenance that if not done, will shorten the life of the lot surface, so it saves us in the long run. Things will be up and running by Tuesday morning.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL – Last week over 100 volunteers immersed upon the parish campus and allowed about 130 kids to cruise on a high seas expedition and explore the mighty love of God. I got to be “Sailor Jack” in the morning skits and help teach that they can rely on God’s Word since it is true, comforting, surprising, life-changing and for everyone! “Let’s Go!”

God bless,
Fr. J.J.

Hello there! I am James Houbeck, a Seminarian from  Sacred Heart Major Seminary. I just finished my first year and I am moving on to 3rd College (or 1st Philosophy as it is called). I am truly thrilled and blessed to have a chance to be at St. Anastasia this summer. My home parish is Our Lady Queen of All Saints in Fraser, right around my hometown of Roseville, but I feel fully at home here at this parish. I am awed by the emphasis on hospitality, fellowship, and charity. I can see how thriving and lively Anastasia is, and I will be here to fully share in the life of this beautiful community. I will be involved in a number of  activities and events throughout the summer, and although I have to return to the Seminary in late August, I intend on visiting throughout the year. I don’t plan on this being just a summer stop; I want to be a part of this    community for many years. My brothers and sisters in our Lord, know that you will always be in my prayers, and I humbly ask that you continue to pray for my brother  Seminarians, myself, and all priests, especially those who serve the Archdiocese of Detroit. May God bless each and every one of you, and may He bless the time we get to spend together!

WORLD YOUTH DAY: The World Youth Day Pilgrimage is just around the corner and will be here before we know it. In August of 2011 a group of us from St. Anastasia will be heading off to Spain to be with Pope Benedict and  experience Barcelona, Mantserrat, Valencia, Toledo, Avila, Madrid, the Shroud of Turin, and other exciting things. For all who have ever been to World Youth Day’s in the past, it is a life changing experience.  I would invite you to consider going with me.

If you are interested, contact Maria Komasara at E-Mail, or Becky in the Parish Office, and attend an information meeting on July 12th at 7:00 p.m. in the Social Hall.

God bless,
Fr. J.J.

THE SOUND OF SILENCE: Last Sunday, the 10:15am Adult Choir went on summer break.  It is a well deserved break, but I have to admit, I am a little disappointed since I’ll miss them.  Each of our liturgies has a unique sound and feel; whether it be a solo cantor, the Celebration Singers, our folk group, the Adult Choir, or the Youth Band. 

     Last week we had five funerals, in fact, two in one day.  There are a group of folks who belong to “The Resurrection Choir”.  They make sure that the funeral liturgy has quality music and help those who are grieving to participate.  Some of the members not only attended the first funeral, but stayed for the second as well.  That is true ministry.    

     I want to thank all the choirs, Dr. Chun, David Graves, A.J. Pipas, Dan Tardiff and all the folks who put their heart and energy into the Masses.  Music really lifts the spirit and helps us connect to the Spirit.  

 BEAUTIFUL SURROUNDINGS: As a cottage owner who gets there once every one or two weeks, I have a whole new appreciation for people who garden.  I’ve weeded, planted, fertilized, and watered at my place, but again that is once every one or two weeks.  Every time I pull into our parking lot I say a little prayer for all of the folks who work so hard to keep up on the landscaping on our property.  It is so beautiful and I really appreciate it.  The amazing explosion of color from the flowers is awe-inspiring.  My cottage property is a postage stamp compared to our large complex and I am very aware of the hard work that goes into making the parish plant look so good.  Thank you to the “Garden Angels” who work so hard.  As I walk back in forth on the property, I find myself constantly bending down to tug at a weed.  I invite you first to thank any of the individuals you happen to see making our parish look so good.  Second, toss in a prayer for them (maybe even a prayer inspired by the landscapes beauty). Finally, third, if you happen to see a weed poking its ugly head up through the ground, give it a tug and help out. 

MEN’S CONFERENCE: Men from throughout Michigan will gather this month in Ypsilanti for the first ever statewide Catholic conference for men. It’s an opportunity for Christian men to draw strength from Christ and find fellowship with one another.  It will take place at Eastern Michigan University and the focus is: “Doing all things in Christ, tapping into real power in a power hungry world.”  Because of the economic challenge, ticket sales are slower than normal.  Students can get tickets for $25 and others are $40.  It includes several qualified speakers and lunch.  It will take place on Saturday, June 26^th from 9:30 am to 4:30pm.  Mass will take place at 3pm.  I encourage you to consider attending. 

LIBRARY: As I understand it, Fr. Davidson worked very hard to create our parish library.  I will walk by and often see folks utilizing it (including a lot of kids).  As well, in the midst of conversations with some parishioners, it is not rare to have them say “We have a parish library?”   Yes and a very good one at that.  I invite you to check it out.  One of the problems that we have, like every parish, is lack of space.  We have many photo albums in the library that hold our parish history.  We need your help.  We would like to scan these photos and put them on computer.  The purpose is two-fold.  We would like to save space and make room for more things that would be beneficial for you to be able to read, and we would like to preserve and catalogue our last 43 years.  If you could spare some time, please let the front office know you want to help.  Stop in the library and check it out.  We even have a recliner for you cuddle up in with the book you choose after perusing the stacks. Happy reading.

God bless,
Fr. J.J.

What about these tidbits that I heard recently?: Listen to your father’s instruction and your mother’s teaching; Hold fast to discipline; Keep principles; Be open to the wise; Tell the truth; Guard your mouth; Keep clear of the fool; Work hard, it yields its profit; Let your eyes be fixed ahead and the path you tread be level; Remember that virtue makes a nation great; Keep a glad heart and a happy face; It’s better to gain wisdom than gold; Be alert that pride goes before destruction; Listen to advice, accept correction; Remember that he who sows injustice reaps disaster; Mollify anger by a covert gift; and Commend what you do to God; Listen to your pastor, he is always right.

This sounds pretty good to me (ok, that last one I tacked on myself). I think they could apply aptly to the contemporary problems that we face in our busy world. This checklist came from the Book of Proverbs. They are attributed to King Solomon who lived 3000 years ago. They are always modern, since times may change, but human beings do not. Why don’t you consider joining one of our numerous Bible studies for the summer and embracing some of these tidbits from Sacred Scripture yourself. One of them is a 6-session summer course for adults and teens who want to know the Biblical basis for our sacraments. Both the Old and New Testaments will be explored. We ask you to please pre-register by July 8, so we have enough handouts and chairs for everyone. Classes will be taught by Marian Bart and Regina Simony. Please bring your own Bible. Free will offerings will be accepted. This class meets Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7:00—8:30 p.m. beginning July 13, (last class July 29) in the Davidson Center. Don’t worry, if you can’t make them all, it does not matter. Come to the ones that fit in your schedule.

PRIDE IN THE PARISH! – I gotta tell you, we are truly blessed folks to be here at good ‘ol St. Anastasia. I just got off our website and I can honestly say that, first: it is probably the best parish website I have ever visited. Admittedly, I am far from computer literate, and therefore had nothing to do with its design, but it is awesome. Second, it is cram packed with info and events. In other words, we are an extremely active parish. I am obviously aware of all the things we do, but to see it all put together in one place, it is very inspiring. There are fun things to attend for all ages, myriads of spiritual opportunities, zillions of ways to share your gifts and serve, and any number of things that can lead you to solving any number of issues that you might be facing. Good for you St. Anastasia! I invite us to thank our Lord for allowing us to be involved in such an active place (active in the Spirit) and also invite you to consider getting involved in some new way. Visit the website, say a prayer, and ask the Lord how He might be asking you to participate in something. You will not be disappointed.

God bless,
Fr. J.J.

 They are our own Fr. John Dumas, who has been with us for the last year; Fr. James Arwady, Fr. Benedict Ehinack (for Camaroon), Fr. Adalberto Espinoza, Fr. Craig Giera, Fr. Bernardo Ramiriez, and Fr. Michael Zuelch.

At the same time, I received word of the death of a brother priest, Father James L. Hayes.  He entered eternal life on the Feast of the Ascension, last Sunday, at the age of 97. Father Hayes was born on November 1, 1912 in Detroit. Ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Detroit on June 11, 1938, and he would have celebrated his 72nd anniversary next month. Yep, you read that right 72^nd! 

Whenever I walk up and down the halls of Sacred Heart Seminary, I always glance up at the hundreds of graduation photos that line the walls.  It always strikes me how the numbers in each graduating class vary only slightly, until more recently.  Recently the Archdiocese published the results of a study on a ten year trend of the priesthood here in Detroit.  Ten years ago, there were 439 priests in 313 parishes.  Today, we have 281 priests in 273 parishes.  That means the Archdiocese has had to eliminate 40 parishes in the last decade to keep up with the 36% drop in priests.  That means that in 1999 the priest to people ratio was 1 priest to every 2,135 people.  Today it is 1 priest to every 3,046 people. 

The priesthood in which I was ordained almost 15 years ago has changed drastically.  So has the Church.  I inform you of this, not to depress you, but to alert you.  Not only do these seven men need our prayers, but we need to bagger the Harvest Master to send more workers.  That means, we have to invite these men ourselves to consider this beautiful and worthy vocation. 

If you know of someone who displays the traits that would work well in the priesthood, tell that man.  Call me or Fr. Mark, and we will invite them.

BLESS YOU BOYS! The St. Anastasia varsity CYO baseball team has won its division this year.  By the time you read this, it will have gone to the playoffs Saturday May 22^nd at St. Clements in Centerline.  We will have played either Holy Family Regional or Shrine of the Little Flower. This is a first, so congrats to Brad Robinson, our A.D., to the coaches, and to the players.  Regardless of the score, we are proud of you.  Go Blazers!

God bless,
Fr. J.J.

 Dear Lord,
     We pray that the Blessed Mother wrap her mantle around your priests; and through her intercession strengthen them for their ministry. We pray that Mary will guide your priests to follow her own words, “Do whatever He tells you” (Jn 2:5).
      May your priests have the heart of St. Joseph, Mary’s most chaste spouse. May the Blessed Mother’s own pierced heart inspire them to embrace all who suffer at the foot of the cross.
      May your priests be holy, filled with the fire of your love seeking nothing but your greater glory and the salvation of souls.
      Amen.
      Saint John Vianney, pray for us.

STEPHEN MINISTRY:  Something exciting will take place at the 8:15 a.m. liturgy this weekend: a commissioning. We have a new ministry at St. Anastasia called “Stephen Ministry”. Stephen ministers are parishioners who have been trained to provide one-on-one confidential Christian care to individuals who are lonely, grieving, ill or are  experiencing other stresses in their lives. They help these individuals find the strength and courage to heal by praying with them, listening to them and reminding them of God’s great love for them. Ten men and women have received 50 hours of structured training during the last seven months and are now ready to walk beside and support anyone who is going through a crisis or difficult time. These men and women will be officially commissioned as Stephen Ministers at the Mass this weekend. I would like to thank Julie Skotzke for the hard work she has put into getting this ministry off the ground. Please pray for her and the other Stephen Ministers: Regina Zografos, Ann Zagata, Patty Sterba, Marge Starr, Joanna Shaver, Rick Rybicki, Mary Rybicki, John Paston, and Prospero Duarte. If you or someone you know might find comfort in having a Stephen Minister, please contact our Christian Service Coordinator, Kim Houseman.

God bless,
Fr. J.J.

But it was a woman named Ann Jarvis of West Virginia, who really pushed for a national day to honor mothers. On the second anniversary of her mom’s death, Jarvis asked her mother’s church in Grafton, West Virginia, to celebrate a day to honor mothers. Her mother had died on the second Sunday in May. The church obliged and the following year the city of Philadelphia joined in the celebration. Thanks to a campaign by Jarvis and her   supporters, by 1911 almost every state celebrated Mother’s Day. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson made it a national holiday. Other countries also celebrate Mother’s Day, but some on different days. In England, for instance, Mothering Sunday is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent.

Like so many things, the original intent can often get lost in a whirlwind of consumerism. Rather than honoring the woman who gave birth to us, it could simply become an excuse for increased sales of cards and flowers.    Ironically, this happened pretty quickly in the history of the holiday. At one point Ann Jarvis became so fed up with how commercial the holiday had become that she actually filed a lawsuit to stop one Mother’s Day event from taking place. So with the original spirit of Mother’s Day and the example of our Heavenly Mother in mind, here are some suggestions for getting back to the roots of this beautiful day.

-Call your mom just to say “I love you,” even if you talk to her or see her on a regular basis. If your mom has passed away, honor her by taking flowers to her grave, fixing one of her favorite recipes or telling a favorite story about her. Or even better reach out to someone who has shown you a mother’s love recently and lift her up.

- Give the gift of time. We often struggle with what to get mom for Mother’s Day. My family, as part of her gift plant flowers in her garden. She loves to have the yard look nice and really appreciates the gesture. It’s now become a tradition that we look forward to and cherish.

- Don’t forget the other 364 days a year. While it’s nice to have a day devoted to recognizing all that moms do, remember that you don’t have to save up your “thank you’s” and “I love you’s” for Mother’s Day. Put on your calendar a regular adventure with mom. It does not have to be anything grandiose, just a simple lunch, movie, or a time spent together.

- Think outside the box. Instead of a card or a gift, try to come up with a more personal, creative idea for your gift-giving. For instance, make your own card, stuff a box with little slips of paper containing all the things you love about your mom or fill a journal with all the lessons that your mom has taught you. My mom is a very mild mannered person. She does not complain when she is in pain. She presently has a broken wrist, so if you could toss in a prayer for her, that would be appreciated.

- To remember Mary, the Mother of God and our Mother, maybe you could take time today and pray a rosary.

God bless,
Fr. J.J.

p.s.  I love you Mom!

I want to extend my thanks to the hundreds of catechists, volunteers, CORE team, and Staff who put their time, energy, enthusiasm, and gifts into making this such a successful year.  It could not be done without you.  People always say “But Father, I get paid back a million times over by the great experience I have in getting involved.”  It is true that God is not outdone in generosity, but I want you to be aware of my gratitude as well.  It could not be done without you.

If you read last week’s article, you are aware that there are many changes going in how we will be utilizing the talents of our Religious Education staff.  Marian Bart, our new PCL (that’s Parish Catechetical Leader, cuz the title DRE, or Director of Religious Ed just wasn’t broad enough) has asked Mrs. Christine Broses to be part of the team. Chris is a long time parishioner and has been volunteering for 1001 different jobs. She is a faith filled and very generous individual and will be overseeing the Fourth and Fifth Grade programs.  Welcome aboard Chris!

Another thing that we are beginning a-new this weekend is how we do our offertory.  As usual, we will bring up the bread, wine, and the collection.  Along with those items, we will be bringing up a food collection.  Why?  Not only is the Troy food pantry located in our parish, but in giving of food and money we are giving back to the Lord.  It expresses in the Sacramentary that “it is desirable that the participation of the faithful be expressed by members of the congregation bringing up the bread, wine and other gifts for the needs of the Church and the poor.”  Therefore, when Fr. Mark and I state “Blessed are you Lord God of all creation, through your goodness we have this bread. . . It will become for us the bread of life.” or  “Blessed are you Lord God of all creation, through your goodness we have this wine . . . It will become for us our spiritual drink.”  You respond “Blessed be God forever.”  In addition, the folks bringing up the money and food will raise the baskets in the air and the presider will say “Blessed are you God of all creation.  Through your goodness we have these alms to offer, fruit of our labor, harvest of our lives, it is the gift of ourselves.” and you will respond like the other times “Blessed be God forever.”   It may seem a little awkward at first, but the prayer will allow you to praise Him in a fuller way by recognizing the stewards we are called to be.

Speaking of being a steward, Christ calls us to examine our lives and reflect on how we can more fully participate as good stewards in the mission of the Church — a mission of preaching and teaching, serving and worshipping for the glory of God. The Catholic Services Appeal is an important way for us to answer Christ’s call and renew our personal commitment to His work in the Church.  By sharing God’s gifts to you through your gift to the CSA, you live out this year’s CSA theme: Sharing Christ in and through the Church. When we make our annual pledge to the CSA, we join with all our sisters and brothers throughout the Archdiocese of Detroit who gather in the Lord’s celebration of the Eucharist to do the work that no one individual can do. We begin this process this weekend here at St Anastasia.  Please take a moment to read and pray how gifts to the CSA are helping not only us, but the lives of so many.  Thank you ahead of time for your generosity.

God Bless,
Fr. J.J.