Some things never change. That’s what scripture offers us. Our readings today is filled with things that were true 200o years ago.
When John the Baptist was born, his dad said to him…
You my child will be called the Prophet of the Most High
For You will go before the Lord and prepare his way
To give His people knowledge of salvation, through forgiveness of their sins.
We rush to church, get there just in time for Mass, then sit down only to be distracted. Maybe it’s something different in church, someone to talk to, or just getting the kids settled into the pew. When that happens, here are a few simple tips to help stay focused:
Begin to prepare before you arrive: Drive to church in silence. Turn off the radio. Shut your phone off. Leave those important conversations for after Mass. Let the silence sink in to transition your mind from the secular to the sacred.
Get to Mass early and pray. If praying is difficult, just sit and talk to God. Remind yourself you are in His presence and about to receive Jesus in the Eucharist. Thank Him for this gift of grace. The more time, the better, but ten minutes before Mass is better than none at all.
Sit close to the front. The front pews are the best seats in the house. But they are often empty during Mass. Kimberly and I discovered when our kids were very young they behaved better in the front pew than the back pew. They were fascinated to watch what was going on. It works for adults too.
Keep your hands folded in prayer. Posture is important. Your body reminds your heart and mind what they should be doing. Keep a reverent posture while sitting, standing, and kneeling. After all, you are in the presence of the King of the Universe!
Participate in the Mass. Mass is not a spectator sport. You are not there to be entertained. Say the prayers and sing the songs. Listen to the Scriptures. Wonder how they are speaking to you. Live in the Sacred Mystery of the bread and wine becoming the Precious Body and Blood of Jesus. The more you stay engaged, the more rewarding Mass is to your mind.
Bring back those wandering thoughts. Mass is the highest level of prayer we offer God. It’s the place where heaven and earth are joined. St Francis de Sales said if the heart wanders, gently bring it back into the Lord’s presence. Remind yourself you are in the Lord’s presence!
Add your prayers and sacrifices to those of the Mass. You bring your special prayer intentions and your personal sacrifices to every Mass. Offer them up Mass. When the priest says “Pray brethren, that my sacrifice AND YOURS may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father” consciously think of what these are for you.
Ask for help. Your Guardian Angel is always with you. Simply ask your guardian angel, who is adoring Christ in the eternal Mass along with you, to help you pray well and stay attentive.
We live in a fast-paced world. When we bring that world into Mass, so many things are bouncing around in our heads that we forget the most important thing happening in our world in that moment – Jesus is in the house! May we pray to stay focused at Mass and enjoy the special time in the presence of our God.
Deacon John
Greetings in Christ!
I want to start this off with a reminder for us all. Next week is a big one for our Sacred Heart family. We begin our massive project of repairing the floors all through the Church, re-carpeting and all sorts of yummy goodness, including work on the entrances and exits. Because of that, the only masses we will celebrate from July 2-6 is on July 4th at St. Mary on the Lake at 9:00am. We will pray mass together that day and ask God to bless our country and help us to grow closer to Him.
The Catholic Church also offers us a pretty big celebration this week: On Friday, we celebrate the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul. This is the day when we remember the martyrdom of both of these extraordinary men. It’s unclear why this date is picked: its either because one of them died on that date or because it is the day their relics were moved to Rome…we are not sure which.
Either way, its a time to remember their deaths and honor the faith, hope, love and courage that gave them the strength to lay down their lives for Our Faith.
St. Peter was crucified upside down on Vatican Hill in Rome in the year 64 AD, during the reign of Nero.
In 1950 human bones were discovered beneath the alter of St. Peter’s Basilica and many claimed they belonged to Peter. In 1953 an excavation found St. Peter’s tomb in Jerusalem bearing his previous name Simon, as well as the tombs of the other apostles, Mary, and Jesus.
In the 1960s, discarded debris from the excavation beneath St. Peter’s Basilica were re-examined and were identified as the bones of a male human. This discovery caused Pope Paul VI in 1968 to announce they were likely to belong to the Apostle Peter. On November 24, 2013, Pope Francis revealed the relics of nine bone fragments for the first time in public during a Mass celebrated at St. Peter’s Square.
As for St. Paul, he was beheaded in 67AD, also by Nero. As an interesting sidenote, St. John Chrysostom wrote that Nero actually knew St. Paul personally. St. Paul’s body rests at St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome.
In 2006 National Geographic confirmed the remains were his. You can read about that discovery here:
Let’s pray to stay faithful to that which was handed on to us by the wonderful Sts. Peter and Paul!
fjk
It is enrollment season at Sacred Heart School.
At Sacred Heart our teaching approach is focused on virtue. Character and moral purpose are not just add-ons, they’re at the heart of everything we do. Obedience, courtesy and respect are the foundation of our academic life. The virtues are what make children feel safe, appreciated and encouraged- free to discover their talents; develop their personalities; build lasting friendships; become balanced, confident people of faith. This is our educational vision at Sacred Heart. Our mission to remain deliberate and structured with the purpose of graduating students who are prepared to persevere.
Please take a few minutes to explore our website at www.sacredhearthudson.org which describes our preschool through 6th grade programs. Then consider how Sacred Heart can enrich your child’s life and the life of your whole family.
Anyone who is interested in Catholic education for their child should call 517-448-6405 or email me at aatkin@sacredhearthudson.org to set up an interview and a shadow day.
Evil is out there, we see it all the time. We may work with people who are evil, we may daily deal with people who are evil. It’s out there and we see the effects of that. What do we do? We need to recognize and pick out evil is at work. We need to know when evil is at work around us, in us or God help us, through us.
Bishop Earl Boyea seeks to further “equip the Household of Faith” to become disciples of Christ so that, in His friendship, they can reach out and evangelize the wider community. Among the initiatives to achieve this goal, FaithFest offers families and young people a day of live music, social and recreational activities, food, fireworks and fun — all centered around a vigil Mass held “under the stars.” This extraordinary family festival will take place on the grounds of St. Francis Retreat Center, a beautiful 95-acre campus, where rolling hills, wooded trails and ample accommodations permit a unique and memorable summer festival of faith. Don’t miss it!
FAITH FEST is a day for Christian families to gather together and celebrate their faith in an atmosphere of upbeat, joyful participation! Parish and school groups, youth ministries, small groups or large apostolates — all are welcome to reunite at FaithFest!
Attend Mass “under the stars” as Bishop Earl Boyea, assisted by priests and deacons of the diocese, celebrates a unique liturgy with musical direction from Matt Maher.
Save the Date! Saturday, September 22 – Diocese of Lansing Made for Happiness Assembly!
You are invited to join thousands of Catholics of all ages from all 77 parishes in the Diocese of Lansing for the September 22 “Made for Happiness” Assembly. Admission is FREE.
The day’s events will begin with an outdoor Eucharistic Procession from St. Mary Cathedral in Lansing to the Breslin Center in East Lansing. The Eucharistic Procession begins at St. Mary Cathedral in Lansing and will follow a four-mile route to the site of the Assembly’s afternoon events at the Breslin Center on the campus of Michigan State in East Lansing. You are welcome to join in for the whole four-mile route or just a portion of it. At the Breslin Center we will be inspired by presenters such as, Fr. Mike Schmitz, Jennifer Fulwiler, Fr. Joe Krupp, Bishop Boyea and more.
The gathering will come to a joyful culmination with a celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with Bishop Boyea and all the clergy of our diocese. Please note that the Saturday evening vigil Mass at our parish and all parishes of the Diocese of Lansing will be canceled that day.
To learn more about the September 22 “Made for Happiness” Assembly, and to register for the full day of events, refer to the website: madeforhappiness.org.
Thank you to everyone who participated in our First Food Fair & Raffle! We had a remarkable turnout and the weather was beautiful and we made approximately $7,400….. GOD IS GOOD.
We cannot being to express our gratitude for the volunteers, vendors and all who participated in one way or another. The Food Fair will continue to be a fun family event that will kick off the summer for the parish, school and community. As we move forward, we’d like to engage you and many more people like you. Our hope is that the people who enjoyed the Food Fair or heard about it will come back to support it next year.
Thank you to our Raffle Sponsors:
Hudson Collision CR Motors Demlow Products
Dr. Matt Taylor RIMA Mfg. Anonymous Donor
Hudson Pharmacy Luma Insulation Adrian Animal Clinic
Alumi Span Burdick & Associates Matt & Angie Monahan
Shaffer Tental Rental
Congrats to our Raffle Winners & Sellers:
1st Place: Liz Fergus/Seller: Liz Fergus
2nd Place: Heather Pearce/Seller: C Johnston
3rd Place: Butch’s Bar/Seller: C Johnston
4th Place: Mike & Randi Monaghan
5th Place: Butch’s Sports Bar
6th Place: Mike & Randi Monaghan
7th Place: Don Ladd
8th Place: Ellen Mooney
9th Place: Randy Button
10th Place: Elmer D Marry
Christen Johnston was Top Ticket Seller
Our 50/50 Winners were:
Tim Stanley, Ed Engle & Joe Houser
