Category: Parish News & Events

Tuesday in the Octave of Easter

Reading 1 Acts 2:36-41

On the day of Pentecost, Peter said to the Jewish people,
“Let the whole house of Israel know for certain
that God has made him both Lord and Christ,
this Jesus whom you crucified.”

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart,
and they asked Peter and the other Apostles,
“What are we to do, my brothers?”
Peter said to them,
“Repent and be baptized, every one of you,
in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins;
and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For the promise is made to you and to your children
and to all those far off,
whomever the Lord our God will call.”
He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them,
“Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”
Those who accepted his message were baptized,
and about three thousand persons were added that day.

Responsorial Psalm 33:4-5, 18-19, 20 and 22

R.    (5b)  The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R.    Alleluia.
Upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
R.    The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R.    Alleluia.
See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R.    The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R.    Alleluia.
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.
R.    The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R.    Alleluia.

Alleluia Ps 118:24

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Jn 20:11-18

Mary Magdalene 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 went and announced to the disciples,
“I have seen the Lord,”
and then reported what he had told her.

– – –
Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Jesus Surprises

Alleluia! He is Risen! Christ has overcome sin and death to remain with us always!

We, like Mary Magdalene, may believe we can only find Jesus in a certain place in a certain way. She went looking for the body of him who had been crucified and laid in the tomb, so she did not recognize the presence of the One Who Is Risen.

She was seeking him, and he came to her.

This is the surprising and amazing thing: Jesus comes to us. We may be looking for Him elsewhere, thinking that he can only be found in a certain place in a certain way. But He is always right here, calling our name, waiting for us to turn toward Him. But that requires that we turn AWAY from something else – the empty tomb of death, our sin, but also any narrowness of vision that says, subtly, “He MUST BE right here! That is where I last saw Him!”

We don’t usually encounter visible angels along our search, but they are present! Their eyes behold the living God, and they want to open our eyes to His presence; maybe with a question or comment we don’t want to hear, maybe with the salve of repentance. Sometimes, like Mary Magdalene, we are looking right at Him and do not recognize Him. He surprises us. And His presence to us is deeply personal. Do we know how to remain open to the surprises of the Lord? Are our hearts free enough to recognize Him when He calls our name from an unexpected place? Maybe in what seems to us to be a ridiculous comment or question (Why does the Lord so often ask obvious questions like, “Why are you weeping?” “Whom are you looking for?” “Do you want to be healed?” To focus our hearts.)? Maybe in a person we would rather avoid? Maybe in a lonely or difficult place or situation? He is present in all of it and is at work in all of it.

The work of a lifetime is seeking Him in every place and keeping our hearts open to the quiet surprise of His personal presence to us. It takes some spiritual energy and steadfast faith to see in the things of this world the presence of the One for Whom, and through Whom all things exist, and to know that He is present in a deeply personal way to each one of us.

And when we do encounter Him, He always sends us out on a mission. He tells Mary and us, “Go to my brothers and tell them…” What is He sending you out to do? To whom is He sending you? What is He calling you to do for the good of His eternal Kingdom today?

We are each called by baptism to echo the truly Good News that in Jesus Christ, God has definitively conquered sin and death and set us free. The victory is already won! Share the Good News! Alleluia!

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Kathryn Mulderink, MA, is married to Robert, Station Manager for Holy Family Radio. Together they have seven children (including newly ordained Father Rob and seminarian Luke ;-), and two grandchildren. She is a Secular Discalced Carmelite and has published five books and many articles. Over the last 25 years, she has worked as a teacher, headmistress, catechist, Pastoral Associate, and DRE. Currently, she serves the Church as a writer and voice talent for Catholic Radio, by publishing and speaking, and by collaborating with the diocesan Office of Catechesis, various parishes, and other ministries to lead others to encounter Christ and engage their faith. Her website is https://www.kathryntherese.com/.

St. Lydwine: Saint of the Day for Tuesday, April 14, 2020

St. Lydwine is the patroness of sickness Lydwine of Schiedam was born at Schiedam, Holland, one of nine children of a working man. After an injury in her youth, she became bedridden and suffered the rest of her life from various illnesses and diseases. She experienced mystical gifts, including supernatural visions of heaven, hell, purgatory, apparitions of Christ, and the stigmata. Thomas a Kempis wrote a biography of her. She was canonized Pope Leo XIII in 1890. Lydwine suffered a fall while …

Joy in the Risen Christ

In today’s Gospel, we hear two sides of one story. The first side we hear is the joy of the Resurrection! Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, on their way back from the tomb, encounter the Risen Christ, who tells them, “Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” The second side we hear is of those who fear and reject the Resurrection. The men guarding the tomb are told by the chief priests to lie when asked about Jesus’ body and to say that the disciples stole the body while the guards were sleeping. Even today, we see this dichotomy between those who embrace Christ’s Resurrection and those who reject it. Those who take joy in Jesus rising from the dead, attempt to spread the Gospel of hope throughout the world. They are those living out Christ’s commands to not be afraid and to spread the Good News. Those who reject the Resurrection are those who spread evil and malice throughout the world and reject the Truth of the Gospel. 

Many of us celebrating the Resurrection this year may be celebrating in a different way than years past. Many of our Masses are canceled, and we are not able to gather in large groups to celebrate the Good News that is the Resurrection of Christ: the rising of Love itself from the dead. In speaking of this Gospel, Pope Francis said, “Let us go back to proclaim, to share, to reveal that it is true: the Lord is alive! He is living, and he wants to rise again in all those faces that have buried hope, buried dreams, buried dignity…Let us go, then.” In this uncertain time, many of us are experiencing desolation and desperation. It is sometimes difficult to recognize the joy of the Gospel when we cannot go and physically spread the Good News. Today’s responsorial psalm calls us to look to our Heavenly Father for refuge and reminds us that He will keep us safe. May we remember this in our times of desolation. May we have hearts like Mary Magdalene and the other Mary: filled with joy at the sight of the Risen Christ! 

I hope, despite current circumstances, that as we enter into this Easter season that we are able to do what Pope Francis urges us to; may we try to give hope to the hopeless, inspire faith in the faithless, and love those who feel unlovable.

“We are the Easter people and Hallelujah is our song!”
– St. John Paul II the Great

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Dakota currently lives in Denver, CO and teaches English Language Development and Spanish to high schoolers. She is married to the love of her life, Ralph. In her spare time, she reads, goes to breweries, and watches baseball. Dakota’s favorite saints are St. John Paul II (how could it not be?) and St. José Luis Sánchez del Río. She is passionate about her faith and considers herself blessed at any opportunity to share that faith with others. Check out more of her writing at https://dakotaleonard16.blogspot.com.

Monday in the Octave of Easter

Reading 1 Acts 2:14, 22-33

On the day of Pentecost, Peter stood up with the Eleven,
raised his voice, and proclaimed:
“You who are Jews, indeed all of you staying in Jerusalem.
Let this be known to you, and listen to my words.

“You who are children of Israel, hear these words.
Jesus the Nazorean was a man commended to you by God
with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs,
which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know.
This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God,
you killed, using lawless men to crucify him.
But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death,
because it was impossible for him to be held by it.
For David says of him:

I saw the Lord ever before me,
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
Therefore my heart has been glad and my tongue has exulted;
my flesh, too, will dwell in hope,
because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world,
nor will you suffer your holy one to see corruption.
You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence.

My brothers, one can confidently say to you
about the patriarch David that he died and was buried,
and his tomb is in our midst to this day.
But since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn an oath to him
that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne,
he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ,
that neither was he abandoned to the netherworld
nor did his flesh see corruption.
God raised this Jesus;
of this we are all witnesses.
Exalted at the right hand of God,
he poured forth the promise of the Holy Spirit
that he received from the Father, as you both see and hear.”

Responsorial Psalm 16:1-2a and 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11

R.    (1)  Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R.    Alleluia.
Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, “My Lord are you.”
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
R.    Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R.    Alleluia.
I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R.    Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R.    Alleluia.
Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence;
Because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.
R.    Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R.    Alleluia.
You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
R.    Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R.    Alleluia.

Alleluia Ps 118:24

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mt 28:8-15

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went away quickly from the tomb,
fearful yet overjoyed,
and ran to announce the news to his disciples.
And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them.
They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage.
Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid.
Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee,
and there they will see me.”

While they were going, some of the guard went into the city
and told the chief priests all that had happened.
The chief priests assembled with the elders and took counsel;
then they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,
telling them, “You are to say,
‘His disciples came by night and stole him while we were asleep.’
And if this gets to the ears of the governor,
we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.”
The soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed.
And this story has circulated among the Jews to the present day.

– – –
Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Christ is Risen! Now What?

Christ is risen! Halleluiah! We have waited a long time to say those words. This has been a tough Lent, but Christ is risen. The question is, now what? 

Today we celebrate, but tomorrow there will still be a worldwide pandemic, there will still be anxiety and fear, there will still be difficult family situations, political agendas, addictions, sins, and suffering. 

So why is that? Isn’t the resurrection supposed to conquer all death? Here is where we come in. Have you let the resurrection and power of God take effect in your life. See, we are all supposed to allow the resurrection into our lives to experience its full power and bring that power into the world. God is not going to force his love and power on us, he wants us to freely accept it and share it. 

Are you going to allow Christ to take your muck and gunk and sin and kill it so that you may rise? Are you going to trust that he has conquered all fear, anxiety, and hurt in you? Are you going to believe that his resurrection has just as much power now as it did two thousand years ago? 

Check out this brief video reflection and Easter message.  I hope it is a blessing to you and I hope you and your loved ones have a Blessed Easter!

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Tommy Shultz is Director of Evangelization for the North Allegan Catholic Collaborative and the founder of Rodzinka Ministries. In these roles, he is committed to bringing all those he meets into a deeper relationship with Christ. Tommy has a heart and a flair for inspiring people to live their faith every day. He has worked in various youth ministry, adult ministry, and diocesan roles. He has been a featured speaker at retreats and events across the country. His mission and drive have been especially inspired by St. John Paul II’s teachings. Tommy is blessed to be able to learn from the numerous parishes he visits and pass that experience on in his presentations. With a degree in Theology from Franciscan University, Tommy hopes to use his knowledge to help all people understand the beauty of The Faith.

Pope Saint Martin I: Saint of the Day for Monday, April 13, 2020

Martin I lay too sick to fight on a couch in front of the altar when the soldiers burst into the Lateran basilica. He had come to the church when he heard the soldiers had landed. But the thought of kidnapping a sick pope from the house of God didn’t stop the soldiers from grabbing him and hustling him down to their ship. Elected pope in 649, Martin I had gotten in trouble for refusing to condone silence in the face of wrong. At that time there existed a popular heresy that held that Christ …